The Last Daughter of Krypton
by gardy77
Summary: The Last Daughter of Krypton begins with an alternate arrival of Kara / Supergirl on Earth. It features a brand new story arc that takes our heroes into a first contact situation. Can Earth survive this unexpected assault? Clark, Lois, Kara, new friends. Now contains Superman: Rough Justice part 5.
1. Chapter 1: Lost Girl

**The Last Daughter of Krypton**

**Lost Girl**

Episode 1.0- _The Last Daughter Of Krypton_

16 Earth years ago…in a distant galaxy…people are running in all directions. The evacuation alarm sounded incessantly. A small blonde haired girl grabs a table as the entire planet shook. "Run Kara! Head for the pods!" A frantic mother yells at her precious daughter. "Don't look back! We'll be right behind you!" a handsome dark haired middle-aged man called from the ten year olds left.

"Kala! Where are the other girls?" He asks his young lab assistant, his voice carrying above the din. The tall thin blonde haired woman dodged some falling debris. "I sent them on ahead!" She replied. "Rao willing, they should be in their pods by now awaiting launch." Young Kara vaulted over a steel-like crossbeam without losing a step as she literally ran for her life. The planet rocked violently. Kara slid along the slippery floor.

Near the solar system's center, a red gas giant star pulsated. Its innermost planet exploded in a fiery molten mass as bright green meteorites scattered in every direction. The next closest planet was vaporized as the gas giant pulsed. The ensuing shockwave would shear the tiny planetoid, mining colony of Argo in half. It was furthest from the gas giant star. Still, Argo's scant atmosphere would be blown away, escaping into the vacuum of space. The planetoid would basically be unlivable.

Kara executed a perfect right angle turn into the astral physics laboratory that her father Zor El had built from scratch, along with help from the rest of their family and friends. The agile girl somersaulted forward landing beside seven prepped escape pods. Two of the pods were occupied by Kara's sisters, Mala and Cyra, the eldest sister, Kemma, had not yet arrived. Mala and Cyra were already in cryo-freeze mode. Kara shuddered. To her, they appeared dead.

The young girl turned around, facing the empty lab, waiting for her parents to appear. Instead of wasting time, Kara entered her own cryo-pod and began the preliminary pre-launch set up. Her parents had drummed the drill into all of the children's heads. The idea had been to complete the launch on their own if need be. The transparent door slid over Kara and locked into place. The pod began its trajectory calculations…still no sign of her parents. Kara stacked her data crystals in the storage area behind her shoulder. The crystals contained all pertinent data on Krypton and the known universe.

"Sequence initiated"…The tinny computerized voice echoed through Kara's escape pod. She glanced once more at her sleeping sisters, and then the empty lab and sighed. _I hope mom and dad_ _and everyone else gets off planet safely_…Kara thought. Just then, Alura, her mother, entered the lab. She'd been injured, likely by falling debris.

Blood dripped from Alura's forehead and matted down her long blonde hair. She staggered towards the pods, barely avoiding a ceiling section, as it crashed down into the lab. Kara was about to pull the emergency release to help her mom.

Alura waved at her. "No…don't." She mouthed the words to her frightened daughter. The planet rocked violently again. This time it didn't stop shaking. Alura fell to her knees and crawled the rest of the way to her youngest daughter's cryo-pod. The atmosphere had been obliterated. There was only a few seconds of air left. All of the oxygen had been sucked out into space. Argo Colony cracked in half as predicted. Alura slapped the launch button, and Kara was frozen in time.

The small pod lifted from the shattered planetoid and sped off into the blackness of space, closely followed by tons of debris. Argo listed to one side. Eventually, its orbit would deteriorate minute by excruciating minute until the red giant star swallowed the planetoid wholly. Kara's ship spun away from the cataclysm. A good-sized meteorite bounced off her ship's hull. Thankfully, her father, Zor El, and uncle, Jor El had considered that when constructing the children's pods.

Kara's ship's trajectory had been altered very slightly, but it continued onward towards Earth. The ship's instructional database droned on about every insignificant detail of Earth and its solar system. The Kryptonian brain had the ability to absorb knowledge even during sleep periods.

Kara's ship arrived on Earth, splashing down in a riverbed. Unfortunately, the ship's cryo-genics program had been damaged and refused to unlock and defrost Kara…for sixteen Earth years! The flight from Krypton had only been about three Earth years. Kara had been told to seek out her cousin…baby Kal El, only child of Jor El and Lara. Obviously, this plan didn't work!

The silvery pod lay at the bottom of Reeves Dam undisturbed below the riverbed. Suddenly, the torrent of water released by the holes in the dam dug deep into the river's base. The neglected pod sprung forward and up to the surface as it whirled downstream. The warm mid-afternoon sunshine hit the icy transparent cover encasing young Kara. A battle above her raged on.

Two super-powered beings were tossing each other about like kids in a playground. One had thrown the other through the hundred-foot dam's wall, shattering the cement. The two twisted in midair choking each other.

Meanwhile, Kara's pod landed softly in the sandy shallow side of the riverbank. The sun beat down on the fallen craft melting the ice throughout. The pod beeped to life, quickly increasing the temperature within. Kara coughed to life. To her, the trip had been minuscule. Her last memory was of her mother starting the launch. The teen's mind slowly came into focus.

Something had gone wrong, terribly wrong. When Kara left Argo she was merely a feisty twelve-year old. Now her body had grown. Her formerly shoulder length golden hair draped below her thin waist, wet and matted.

The instructional program had ended, and Kara felt the warm air filling her icy lungs. She punched open the cockpit shield, and it flew hundreds of feet into the air above the cool water. The teen wobbly climbed out of the craft, quickly falling into the wet sand. From her knees, Kara drew in a number of deep breaths. She vomited up the foreign water and checked her clothing.

Kara's tunic had yellowed, and ripped in several places, some of which were embarrassing. She glanced down at her breasts and gawked. _I don't remember these_… Her distracted thoughts were interrupted by the melee above her in the bright blue sky. _I've made it to Earth! At least I think so_…_my mission…my mission was to locate and protect Kal El_.

The air surrounding her was warm and humid, completely the opposite of Argo or Krypton. She noticed that two beings were locked in combat. Kara watched as one fighter threw the other into some…trees? _Earth is so beautiful, why are they destroying it_? She pondered.

Kara stood up and wavered slightly. The Earth's sun was hot and bright and seemed to be filling her with energy. Kara stretched her cramped muscles, tearing another edge of her tunic off in the process. "AAAAH!" A high-pitched whistling noise tore into Kara's hearing like a dagger. She winced and covered her ears.

Some information scrolled across her ship's little water stained view-screen in her native Kryptonian. Kara read it despite the onslaught to her mind. _The sound you hear is the unique_ _frequency created by your uncle, Jor El and installed in his son Kal El's genetic code_. _This is how_ _you identify him from the Earth people, Kara_. The teen digested this new information.

_Why is Kal El_ _so big_? She wondered silently. _Either way he's in trouble_. Kara noticed that her body felt light. She glanced down and saw that she was hovering about a foot above the sandy riverbank. "Great Rao!" She exclaimed, "What a strange world this is!"

Kara began to prioritize her next actions. First, she dug out her pendant from a secret compartment, draping it over her thin neck. Then she locked up the ship, sliding a secondary panel across the cockpit. The amulet with the triangular symbol of the House of Zor El dangled high above her ample chest. She shoved the ship back into the water.

Unfortunately, her superior strength caused the silvery transport to stick deeply in the riverbed. Kara sighed. _This will take some getting used to_, she thought sourly. "I'm coming, Kal El!" Kara's plan was to walk up onto the riverbank and distract Kal's attacker. She was shocked when her walk turned into a run with hyper speed.

She ran out of control for several miles, finally tripping over a fallen tree, landing unceremoniously in a dried bed of foliage. Kara glanced up and realized that she'd no idea where she was. The teen also had superior hearing, so she listened intently for the sound of the raging river. Kara pinned the noise down to a specific direction.

The alien beauty took off at a run, this time her visual perception shifted into hyper speed as well and she easily gauged where the river was and observed the battle, which ensued above. The two super-powered beings were still pummeling each other.

Each hit resounded in a crack of thunder. Kara eyed the conflict, awaiting a break in the action, and for the warriors to separate. They unclenched. She jumped straight up and extending her arms, and clenching her fists, hit her cousin's attacker in the mid-section, knocking him several miles away from the river, into the dense underbrush. "Kal! Kal! Are you alright?"

Clark glanced over at the petite, ragged looking blonde. One of his eyes had swelled up. Blood began to drip from one nostril. "And you are?" He asked. "Kara Zor El, your cousin from Krypton." The alien replied. Clark's comments were preempted by another punch.

Kara realized that she could defy gravity at will. Clark spun end over end, landing awkwardly on the ground, halfway up the hillside. Kara rocketed toward the assailant, flanking him, and caught him off guard with a quick grab and throw motion. She sent the evil phantom sailing across the nearby quarry and he impacted a solid wall of limestone. The quarry's face shattered in a roughly circular pattern around him. Debris plunged downward into the quarry's basin.

Kara spotted two women in trouble. She doubled back. One of the women was severely injured, and was being carried out of a tunnel by the other. Lois Lane fell to her knees out of breath. Her cousin, Chloe Sullivan was unconscious. Kara floated higher and then flew in towards the struggling woman. She swooped low and to her surprise, easily picked Chloe up and carried her a safe distance away. "What the hell was that?" Lois asked.

Clark was groggy and didn't answer her. He had no idea what to say to his good friend, '_That was my alien cousin to the rescue_?' He thought dryly. Kara was about to return when the evil Clark look-alike cornered her high above the river. "Another Kryptonian?" He croaked. "Today's my lucky day!" Kara smirked. "Hardly."

She spun around and kicked the phantom in the rib cage, sending him sprawling into the roughage in a nearby field. The teen alien glanced away for a moment. The phantom blindsided Kara punching her in the stomach and sending her tumbling onto the hillside near Lois.

Clark urged her to take care of the injured teen and took the opportunity to escape when Lois turned around. He quickly tracked the phantom and restarted the melee. Lois bent over Kara, brushing the grime and dried blood from the girl's wet and matted long blonde hair.

"Aw, she's just a kid, Clark." Lois said as she turned around. "Clark?" The phantom soon ditched Clark and returned to harass the girls. Lois heard the thump of the creature's landing behind her. She immediately jumped to her feet, and roundhouse kicked the being in the chin, catching him by surprise. It took a few seconds for Clark to catch up.

The phantom lost his balance and fell into Clark, knocking them both over the side of the dam. The two plunged downward with their hands around each other's throats. The creature snarled. "After I finish you off, I get her next!" Clark growled through the choke hold. "I doubt that, Bizarro!" They landed with a thud along the riverbank, both temporarily knocked out.

"Oh my God! Clark!" Lois exclaimed, as Kara began to stir. "Mama?" She asked groggily. "No, I'm Lois, Lois Lane, sweetie." She knelt beside the fallen teen. "Where's Kal El?" Lois was puzzled. "Who? You mean Clark? He's in trouble…"

Before Lois finished her sentence, Kara's big blue eyes fluttered open. "Where?" She groaned. Lois tried to explain, but Kara was up on her feet already, and vaulted up into the bright afternoon sky. She was a blur as she dove at full speed over the edge of the dam towards her unconscious cousin.

"Holy crap!" Lois yelled as the super girl's rocket speed knocked her off her feet. Lois rubbed her backside. "Chloe always said that this town was weird." She grumbled. "Oh my god! Chloe!" She'd nearly forgotten that her cousin had been spirited away by the young mutant.

Kara's quick acceleration caused a sonic boom as she swooped in low over the fallen foes. The alien teen's eyes began to burn. "Ow!" Kara slowed as twin red laser-like beams lanced out from her wide eyes. The discharge blew a two-foot hole in the stony riverbank, sending pebbles scattering and turning some sand into glass. Kara closed her eyes, stopping the beams and floated clumsily to the ground.

"Kal! Kal! Wake up! I can't see!" Kara's shrill frantic voice brought Clark back to his senses. He groaned and rubbed his head as he sat up. "What do you mean you can't see?" Kara quickly explained her predicament. "Okay, face away from me, and slowly open your eyes." He instructed. Kara complied, and thankfully her big blue eyes had returned to normal. She hugged Clark. "Kal, are you sure you're okay?" He nodded and winced under Kara's powerful grip. "Is it dead?"

"Not likely." The creature snarled as it stood up. Clark reflexively shoved Kara behind him. She floated upward and peered over his shoulder. The phantom took a swing at Clark's chin, barely missing it. Clark grabbed the pendant from Kara's neck and pressed it against the being's chest.

It howled in agony. Kara watched in horror as a black and silver wraithlike creature began to separate from the Clark look-alike's body. As soon as the creature cleared its host, Kara instinctively blasted it with her laser vision. She hadn't thought about the action at all. The body dropped to the ground.

The wraith exploded in a fiery mess. The force of the blast knocked Kara and Clark several hundred feet in the opposite direction. The two aliens were down for the count along the riverbank. The phantom had been vaporized, and its host lay motionless in the midst of a shallow crater.

Lois had made her way back to the car and drove down the access road from the dam. She still needed to find Chloe. The dam continued to spew water from the reserve into the river through a large hole. Clark finally came to and noted that Kara was still knocked out. He stood up and wobbly made his way over to her. Kneeling over his young cousin, he inspected her injuries with his x-ray vision. _No broken bones, that's good. She's probably got a mild concussion_, he reasoned. "Hey Kara?" Clark shook her shoulder.

"Is it time to get up already?" Kara complained, bringing a smirk to Clark's face. She opened her eyes and said: #&*!&*? (Are you okay?) in her native Kryptonian. "Huh?" Clark asked. Kara repeated her question. "I can't speak the language." Clark pointed out.

"How can you not speak your family's language?" Kara asked with an air of disappointment in her voice. "I can read most of it, but I can't really speak it. I mean it's not as if I had anyone to practice with." Clark defended. "Where's Chloe?" Kara gasped.

"Oh! I forgot about her. Hold on." She took off flying before Clark could warn her against revealing herself any further. The alien teen returned shortly with a very seriously injured Chloe in her thin arms.

"She's in bad shape, Kal El." Kara began as Clark x-rayed his longtime friend. "She's got no internal injuries." He announced. "I'm no doctor, but she should be fine." Kara shook her head, as her matted golden hair covered part of her face. "I sense no alpha waves from her brain, Kal El." Clark frowned. What? You mean she's brain dead?" Kara shrugged. "I don't know what humans call it."

"I have the ability to sense energy. That's one of the ways that I found you, and could tell the difference between you and the phantom creature. Alpha waves are like a fingerprint. Every brain has a unique signature. Kryptonians have a higher energy output than humans. It acts as a beacon, leading those who can sense them to a specific person." Kara explained. "How do you know all this?"

Clark was skeptical yet amazed. "Kal, Kryptonian education begins very early in our lives. The major sciences are standard learning for any ten-year old…at least it was. Now Krypton's all gone. We are the last two surviving members of our race." Kara added grimly. "I wouldn't bet on that, Kara. I've run into several Kryptonians and other races, especially within the last two years."

"Most Kryptonians I've met, with the exception of Raya, were evil and bent on my destruction or Earth's." Clark remarked. "We have to get Chloe to a doctor." Kara examined the unconscious girl. "No." She said adamantly. "Earth's technology is too primitive to help her. We need to get her to my ship and see if it can help." Clark's eyes widened. "Your ship?" Kara nodded. "Or yours, if you prefer." Clark reddened. "I sort of blew mine up." He said sheepishly as Kara scowled.

"What? Why would you do such a thing, Kal El? All of Krypton's knowledge was contained in the crystals hidden within it." She admonished. "It was an accident, kind of." Clark defended. "I never saw any crystals." Kara folded her arms defiantly, as she floated over to her cousin. She handed Chloe to him. "We'll have to use my ship, then." Kara offered as Clark agreed. "Where is it?" She pointed to the river. "At the bottom of the water, come on!" Clark held Chloe tightly.

"Kara, Chloe can't survive underwater as long as we can." The alien teen floated straight up. "Then we'll have to bring the ship to her. I'll be right back." Kara executed a perfect jackknife dive into the onrushing current, heading to the bottom of the river.

She reappeared a few moments later with a triangular silver and black vehicle about the size of a small car across her back. Kara set it down before Clark. It had a number of emblazoned Kryptonian symbols along its hull, and a white cockpit with more symbols throughout, some of which were lit and appeared to move independently.

Kara popped open the secondary door covering the cockpit. "Put her in." She directed as Clark placed Chloe in the cramped seating area as comfortably as possible. Kara closed the cockpit and pressed a series of Kryptonian symbols in a specific order along the rear of the ship's hull. Each one lit up as she touched it. "It's keyed to Kryptonian DNA." Kara explained. A sequence of blue and green lights encircled Chloe's head. "What's it doing?" He inquired. Kara effortlessly went horizontal as she continued to defy gravity. "The ship was programmed to be a teaching instrument."

"It can enable the occupant of the craft to learn programs even if they're unconscious. It was my instructional device on the way here from Argo. It's obviously never been used on a human before. It should work. The system is re-firing Chloe's synapses, and initiating brain activity." Clark looked on worriedly. "Will it kill her?" Kara shrugged. "Not likely. Either it will work or it won't. I have to stop it at a certain point, though. The human brain can only stand so much energy influx."

"Kryptonian brains can handle much more. It can also work in reverse." Kara continued. "Meaning it can make people forget things as well." Clark was impressed with his young cousin's knowledge and understanding of Kryptonian technology. "It can do all that?" Kara nodded. "Yes. That's what my father, your uncle, Zor El said." Chloe convulsed as Clark watched nervously.

"You said you're from Argo, not Krypton?" Clark tried to make conversation. "Yes, Argo was a small planetoid mining colony at the edge of the Kryptonian solar system. My family was from there. We were considered of a lower caste than your family, but my father, Zor El loved my mother, Alura, no less. Jor El never bought into the caste system, believing that it stunted intellectual growth."

"It's almost time." Kara announced as the lights encircling Chloe's head turned red. "Shhh!" Kara urged. "Someone's coming!" On cue, Lois's car bounced down the well-beaten path leading from the dam onto the main highway. She spotted Clark, Kara, the creature, and the spaceship.

Kara's spaceship beeped as the light show around Chloe ended. The young alien beauty hurriedly pressed a series of Kryptonian symbols, and the craft's cockpit opened. Clark anxiously awaited any sign from Chloe. Meanwhile Lois's car skidded to a stop near the fallen creature, scattering pebbles in every direction. She unhooked her safety belt, turned off the car, and hopped out. "Oh Clark! Thank God!" Lois ran over and hugged her best friend. Kara smiled.

Under her breath, certain that Clark could hear her, Kara asked: "Is she your consort, Kal?" Her voice was below a whisper. He glanced over at her when Lois wasn't watching. "No." Kara smirked, acting like any normal sixteen-year old girl would do. "No what?" Lois asked. "Uh…nothing. Chloe, are you all right?" Clark changed subjects quickly. His friend slowly sat up. "That depends how you define all right." She croaked.

"What the hell happened? What am I doing in this thing, whatever it is?" Kara floated alongside her ship to meet Chloe. Clark and Lois helped her out of the spaceship. "And you are?" Chloe glanced at the petite disheveled teenager.

"Kara Zor El…" She began. "My cousin Kara." Clark cut her off. "Really?" Chloe forced a smile. "She's the real deal." He added, trying not to sound too proud. "So Clark, do all of your family members fly through the air, kick serious ass, and have super powers?" Lois grilled. "Nope, she's the first one." Clark deadpanned. "What is that?" Lois gestured toward the ship. "My spaceship." Kara answered before Clark could invent a fabrication. "I see." Lois whistled. Clark sighed.

"I guess it's time for Lois to join our little club." Chloe quipped. "We've got no choice." Clark shrugged. "We were never really good at keeping secrets anyway." Chloe stood, wavering a bit. "Don't take this the wrong way, cuz, but why aren't you dead?" Lois asked cynically. Chloe seemed to be trying to recall the recent events. Kara pressed some symbols on the ship and it silenced.

She replaced the cockpit cover and floated out from behind it in full view of the girls. "You are flying, aren't you?" Chloe asked the teen alien. "Yes." Kara flew a quick circle around them and landed softly beside Lois. "Good, I thought my eyes were going." Chloe joked. Lois cast a sidelong glance at Kara who smiled brightly. "Cute kid." She remarked. There was an awkward silence.

"So, are we just going to ignore the bursting dam behind us?" Chloe asked. "True! We have to do something, Kara, it will flood the whole area." Clark urged. "Got it, Kal! Follow me!" The alien girl flew high above them. "I uh…can't fly." He admitted sheepishly. Lois and Chloe exchanged glances. "That's ridiculous Kal, all Kryptonians can fly in Earth's light atmosphere." Kara insisted. "I don't know how." Clark added. Kara sighed. "Fine. We'll do this the hard way."

She dove into the river and came back up with an armful of silt, sand, and pebbles. Kara flew to the hole in the dam and shoved the mess into it. She used her heat vision to turn the mixture into cement, which blocked part of the hole, slowing down the water flow. "Your turn Kal!" Kara said as she flew back to them. "Unless you're going to make me fix the dam, myself."

Clark stared at Lois and Chloe, then used his hyper speed to zip into the river and grab a good amount of the same stuff Kara had. The teen beauty flew down behind him, picked Clark up, and clumsily tossed him over to the dam's crack. He repeated the procedure, blocking the water flow significantly. The super powered aliens made a few more quick trips, and the water stopped.

The hole in the dam would hold for a while until the construction crew could repair it properly. Clark stood before Chloe and Lois sopping wet. Kara flew down to stand next to him. "Good job you two." Chloe praised. Lois was busily inspecting Kara's spaceship.

"Uh…Lois…don't touch anything!" Clark warned. "Spaceships, flying girls, super-powered freaks, and Lex Luthor sitting right in the middle of it all!" Lois remarked vehemently. "My dad, the general was right."

"There were all kinds of weird and scary things out in the world and beyond. I thought he was just trying to scare me. He wanted me to get married, settle down, pop out a couple of pups, and not ask too many questions." She remarked. "Not me, not this girl. You are giving me this exclusive, aren't you Clark?"

Chloe frowned. "Lois, let it go!" Clark and Kara stood by silently. "What? This is the single biggest story of our lifetimes, probably in the history of the world." Lois protested. "No way cuz! Clark and Kara's privacy takes precedent." Chloe challenged. "Why are you called Clark, and why are you trying to keep yourself a secret, Kal?" Kara was puzzled and hurt.

"We'll have to take this debate home, Kara." Clark instructed. "We can't leave him, and your spaceship sitting out here in the open." Kara was frustrated. "Why?" Chloe tried to smooth over the situation. "Because people don't understand that you and Clark are different." Lois was still nosing around the spaceship. "We can discuss this at home." Clark urged. "Fine." Kara snorted. "Excuse me." She edged past Lois, picked up her ship and balanced it across her back.

"Whoa!" Chloe gasped. Lois's eyes widened. "Help her Clark." Lois snapped. "Maybe we should come back at night and drag it home with the pickup?" Clark suggested. "Too risky." Chloe said. "Yeah, the cops were crawling all over the dam looking for Luthor." Lois stated. "I've got it Kal!" Kara insisted and flew upward a few feet. "Can you follow me, running?" Clark asked.

"I suppose, though it would take longer than flying." Kara agreed. "Ready? Let's go!" Clark picked up the body that the creature possessed and dashed off. Kara zipped along behind him, still carrying her ship. Lois stared after them in disbelief. "Amazing!" Chloe stuck her tongue in her cheek. "Yeah, I never quite get used to that."

Lois shook her head. "Aliens living among us. I always thought Clark was a bit weird, so I shouldn't be at all surprised to find out that he's from another planet." Chloe stretched leisurely. "I just want a nice hot bath, a steaming latte, and a good night's sleep." Lois opened the doors to her car. "How can you sleep at a time like this?"

Chloe laughed. "I got used to our resident space alien rather quickly." Lois shook her head. "How long have you known about E T?" She joked. "I found out over two years ago." Chloe replied. "How can you sit on a story like that?" Lois pressed as she started the car and drove to the main road. "Out of…respect for Clark's wishes." Chloe said sincerely.

"You still love him, don't you?" Lois didn't pull any punches. "Oh I don't know about that." Chloe dead panned. "I have Jimmy." Lois was relentless. "Oh come on, cuz! Have you seen those eyes? That physique? The farm boy charm?" Lois shocked Chloe with her comments.

"Lois? You have a crush on Clark?" She snickered. "I don't know. Maybe, it's not as if men are banging on my door for dates." Chloe laughed heartily. "It doesn't bother you that he's a space alien?" Lois waved her hand. "I mean he's still goofy old, wimpy, tractor driving Clark, isn't he?" Chloe smirked. "Yeah, and more."

"He's anatomically correct, right?" Lois asked. Chloe's eyes started to water from laughing. "I don't know, I suppose. You'd have to ask Lana." She finally got out. "Why can't I just fall for a normal guy?" Lois complained.

"Actually, Clark is more normal than most guys. It's just that he has this whole other side to him." Chloe explained. "That's one of the first things that Mrs. Kent said to me when I came to Smallville. Did he ever tell you that I saw him sans clothes, and in a shower?"

"Oh really?" Chloe felt a pang of jealousy and changed the subject. "Lois, what's the last thing that you remember before the dam broke?" Lois turned onto another roadway, checking behind her to see if they were being followed. "I was lying on the ground inside the dam's inner workings. You were passed out next to me. There was blood all over the floor and a deceased guard near some machinery." Chloe sighed. "Lois…that blood…was yours." Lois gulped. "I know."

"The guard got the best of me…and skewered me with a massive hunting knife." Lois began to sweat with the horrific memory. "Lois…you were dead when I found you." Chloe said grimly. "No! I couldn't have been…I mean people just don't come back to life…" Lois protested. "Honey, remember that this is Smallville, death isn't necessarily permanent. The fact is…that I think I brought you back…everything's hazy after that, until I woke up inside Kara's ship."

"You didn't see that Bizarro freak that Clark was battling then?" Lois questioned her. "He looked and acted like Clark. They were throwing each other around like rag dolls. Kara intervened, and I guess they got the best of the freak job." Chloe considered Lois's story.

"He had to be one of Lex's creations that went AWOL." Lois nodded. "Like Wes Keenan, Luthor's genetically enhancing people with or without their consent. I'm taking the bald wonder down." Chloe grimaced.

"Lois, you know I love you like a sister, but you can't take down Lex without major backing." Chloe tried to dissuade her. "Why doesn't Clark just snap Lex's neck like he deserves? I mean he's got all this power…" Lois turned into the Kent Farm access road. "You don't understand Clark at all, Lois. It's not as if you can go around killing people." Lois sighed. "You're right. I'm just steamed, that's all." Chloe nodded. "I know. To beat Lex we have to do it legally."

Clark and Kara arrived at the deserted Kent Farm simultaneously. They stowed Kara's ship and the Bizarro genetic freak's body within a hastily dug storage area below the barn's floor. Clark quickly replaced the floorboards and took a moment to examine his young cousin.

The teen beauty was filthy, had a bruised cheek, and her clothing was nearly shredded. "First, we need to get you dressed and cleaned up, then we can talk. Chloe and Lois will be here soon." Kara absently nodded. "Oh Kal, Earth is so beautiful! It's not at all like Krypton or Argo." She commented as they walked into the antique yellow and brown farmhouse.

"Kara, how did you find me?" Clark showed the teen to the new room he'd added. He expected Lana Lang to move into it when she returned from China. "I knew it was you Kal. I heard the warning." She replied as she brushed the thin curtains from the bedroom window to look out over the farm. "You mean that high pitched whistling sound?"

Kara nodded. "It is in the genetic code of every Kryptonian. Each individual has his or her specific unique frequency. That's how I could tell you from the other." Clark silently recalled the same story he'd gotten from Raya. _Kara appeared to be legit, was she truly related to him_? He pondered. Suddenly, Kara back-flipped through the air, and landed happily behind Clark.

"Kal! I'm so glad that I found you!" Clark gaped as she effortlessly flew circles around him. "Why can't you fly?" She pressed. "I don't know." Clark answered. "How can you? You've only been here for a few moments." Kara grinned impishly. "I guess even Kryptonian girls mature faster than boys." She teased with a twinkle in her big blue eyes.

"Don't worry! I'll teach you!" Clark gawked as Kara continued to easily defy gravity, floating horizontally beside him. Still airborne, Kara began her story, leading Clark downstairs. "I've been here below the dam since I landed on Earth. I was sent here to take care of you." She smiled warmly as Clark cast her a sidelong glance. "Take care of me?" He asked skeptically.

"You were supposed to be a baby or at least a toddler. Obviously something went wrong with the launch trajectory of my ship. Your father, Jor El, was a brilliant man. He knew that Krypton was about to be destroyed, taking Argo City with it. The Council didn't believe him, though my father, Zor El did."

"He personally double-checked Jor El's research, and reached the same conclusion. After my father verified Jor El's hypotheses, he began building cryo-sleep chambers for us. He offered the technology to all of Krypton and Argo, but the people were stubborn and scoffed at him."

"We entered our icy prisons just before Krypton exploded. Zor El's hope was that we could all survive the shockwave and settle on a newly colonized world that we would call New Krypton. We were willing to start over. Once the uninhabited planet was terra-formed we would all be reunited." Kara sadly recalled.


	2. Chapter 2: Relative

**The Last Daughter of Krypton**

**Relative**

Clark Kent hurriedly cleaned the house. _Sometimes super speed had its advantages_. He'd been on his own running the Kent Farm since his mother Martha had moved to Washington DC to assume her national Senatorial seat. He'd sent Kara upstairs to clean up and find some clothes. In Clark's mind, he'd suddenly been thrown into a big brotherly/concerned parent role.

The young superhero had just completed his teens, as near as they could figure. Now he was unofficially the permanent guardian of another teen. The doorbell rang as Clark finished mopping the floor.

He answered. "Jimmy? What're you doing here?" The eighteen-year old photo-journalist wanna bee glanced just beyond Clark's six foot four frame. "I've been trying to contact Chloe on her cell phone. I haven't gotten an answer. I figured maybe she'd turned it off or something."

Clark felt really awkward. Jimmy Olsen was going out with Chloe for a few months now, and he was well aware of her more than passing interest in Clark. Chloe and Clark had known each other for several years. "I hope you don't mind…" Jimmy continued into the uncomfortable silence. "I…uh…lifted your address and phone number from Chloe's PDA."

Clark waved him off. "Sure. It's no big deal. Chloe's not here." Jimmy fidgeted in the doorway. Clark sighed. "Come on in. Aren't you supposed to be at Metropolis University?" He asked. "Yeah CK, but being a freshman at the U. sucks. I mean who wants to sit around and watch overgrown teenagers drink brews until they puke?"

Clark grimaced. "I see your point. I spent a horrific semester there, a couple of years ago. Anyway, you could've simply called to see if she was here." Clark added as Jimmy followed him in. "I know, but I thought if you two…I mean you're always going off on these inexplicable adventures…" He stammered. "Jimmy, we discussed that already…"

Kara bounding down the stairs two and three at a time wearing nothing but a sky blue bath towel interrupted Clark. Her long wet blonde hair splattered water everywhere. Her superior hearing had picked up the conversation and curiosity had gotten the best of her. She used a fraction of her super speed to zip beside the boys.

Clark groaned. "Whoa! CK!" Jimmy's eyes lit up. "You're the man! I'm sorry I …" Clark reddened. "Jimmy, this is my cousin Kara from…uh…Minnesota." He stuttered. "Cousin?" Jimmy grinned lustily. "Is that even legal in Kansas?" Clark frowned. "Jimmy!"

The young photojournalist threw his hands up in resignation. "I know. I'm sorry! Poor choice of words! See what I mean, the guys at Met U are a bad influence on me." Kara cocked her head, dripping water onto the carpet.

Jimmy extended a hand. Kara mimicked the gesture, letting the towel fall towards the floor. Clark used his super speed to pick up the towel and hand it to Kara in the blink of an eye, and Jimmy was none the wiser. Kara smiled brightly. "Pleased to meet you."

Jimmy flushed. "That's quite a grip you've got there." He remarked as his hand swelled up. He shook it loose from Kara's grasp. "So, you're new in town?" Jimmy asked pleasantly. Clark hadn't fully explained to Kara that they were supposed to keep their identities a secret. "Yes, she just flew in this morning." Clark said, amusing himself with his witty remark. "Kara, you didn't find anything to wear upstairs?"

"No. Just your stuff." She replied. Jimmy raised one eyebrow. "They lost her luggage at the airport." Clark lied convincingly. He guided Jimmy over to the kitchen counter, where they sat on some stools. Kara was at their heel, visibly sniffing the air. _Human boys smell different_, she mused, _like some kind of freshly cut flowers, it was kind of nice_. Kara was uncomfortably close to Jimmy.

Clark sighed. In the nick of time, his super hearing picked up Lois's car skidding to a stop, scattering pebbles in every direction. Within seconds, Lois was out of the car and storming toward the yellow and brown Kent farmhouse. "Geez Lois, wait up!" Chloe complained, still a bit dizzy from her ordeal. "I haven't seen you move that fast, since they had a two for one cocktail hour at Murphy's Pub across the street from the _Daily Planet_."

Lois vaulted up the antique wraparound porch leading to the Kent front door. Clark had already opened it, as Lois slipped across the threshold. "Jimmy?" Chloe was surprised as she followed her elder cousin in. "Hi sweetie." He said innocently.

Lois was stopped dead in her tracks. Kara glanced at her blankly. "Uh…Kara…didn't you bring any clothes?" The alien teen shrugged, adjusting the bath towel as best as she could. "You know what that means, don't you, Smallville?" Lois asked. "We have to take her shopping!" Clark put his hand on his forehead. "Swell."

Chloe laughed heartily. "I better call your Aunt Martha." Clark directed his comment at Kara. She beamed. _I have a_ _family again, albeit a smaller one_, Kara thought. "For now, you'll have to make due with Clark's…ahem…wardrobe." Lois smirked. "Come on!"

Lois grabbed Kara by the hand and attempted to take her back upstairs. Naturally the alien girl was too dense and heavy to be moved. Clark gestured for her to go with Lois. The teen grinned at Jimmy one more time and left.

Chloe let out a breath. "I guess you'd better make that call." She urged. Translation: _Jimmy_ _and I need to talk_. Clark nodded and flipped open his cell phone, as he casually walked into the den. Jimmy shifted uneasily. "What's up?" He carefully prodded. "I tried calling you, but you didn't answer." Chloe realized that in all the commotion, what with dying and all that she'd lost it.

Clark sat on the arm of the couch. "Senator Kent please…this is her son, Clark…I'll hold." Meanwhile, Lois, always looking for an angle to a story, took the opportunity to grill Kara. She dug into Clark's closet, and pulled out a white tee shirt, blue sweat pants, and white socks for the young alien, handing them to her. "I guess you'll have to go sans underwear for now." Kara dressed in the blink of an eye, amazing Lois. "Wow! I wish I could do that! I'd never be late for work."

Kara enjoyed the attention that Lois was giving her. She'd been alone for sixteen years, though she hadn't realized it. Lois rummaged around in her purse for a hairbrush, and began combing the tangles out of Kara's long blonde locks. The alien beauty sat on the edge of the bed. Instantly, Lois's hairbrush shattered. Kara scowled. "Sorry about that." She added sheepishly.

Lois wouldn't admit it, but she missed her younger sister, Lucy, who was away in Europe, presumably in a great German school. "Kara, why are you here?" She pried. "Well, my father Zor El and mother, Alura, sent me here from Krypton to save me, and to watch over Kal." The alien replied, using Clark's real name. "Kal?" Lois repeated. "He calls himself Clark. I still don't understand why." Kara continued.

"Is he ashamed of me? Of all of us?" Lois shook her head. "No, I don't think that's it. He's got some kind of secrecy issues. It probably led to his breakup with Lana." Kara was puzzled. "Lana?" "Yes. Lana was Clark…uh…Kal's girlfriend. It's all rather confusing. Uh…okay…I guess that will have to do for now."

Lois tossed the broken hairbrush pieces into her purse. "I just can't imagine what he must've been going through." Lois added. "To be so different…to hide his true identity…to lie to everyone he cared about. I don't know whether to be pissed at him or feel sorry for him."

Clark was still on the phone with Senator Kent. "Mom? I can't say much, but we have a houseguest." Martha Kent was silent. "It's my cousin Kara." He informed her. "_Not again_!" Martha snapped. "No Mom, this time she's the real deal. There's a lot more…" He added.

"_There always is_." Martha said with a sigh. "_I'll catch the next plane back, Clark_…" Jimmy and Chloe had quieted behind him. "No hurry I guess. I have Lois and Chloe to help look after her."

"_Lois? Are you sure about that, Clark_?" Martha questioned. "That's part of the problem…Lois saw me…uh…being different." Clark hesitated to add any more information. "_Oh no_! _How did she take it_?" Martha's voice rose. "Not too bad so far, though I'll have to keep an eye on her." Clark's super hearing picked up Lois and Kara leaving the bedroom.

"I also told Lana the truth, and now she's turned up missing." He quickly confided. "_I hope she's all right .I guess things happen for a reason, Clark_." Martha said tiredly. "_Are you sure you don't want me to hurry home_?"

"No, for the moment, Chloe and I have things under control." He affirmed. "I'll see you soon." Martha took a few minutes to digest this bizarre turn of events. "_I can't wait to meet her Clark_. _I'll be home early next week. If there's an emergency, I can be in Kansas in no time. Take care_."

"Will do, mom, see you." Clark flipped off the cell phone as Lois followed Kara downstairs. Jimmy and Chloe were busy in a heavy lip locking session, and Kara giggled. "I take it you two have things all worked out." Lois said sarcastically. Clark rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Uh…Jimmy…can you give my cell phone company a call, and see if they can issue me a new one?" Chloe asked lamely. She couldn't think of any other way to get rid of him. "Sure thing, sweetie." Jimmy kissed Chloe on the forehead and made his way out the front door. "CK, Kara, Lois…we'll see you. I have an early photo shoot in the morning."

"Okay everyone, spill it." Lois began with her hands on her hips. "What the hell's been going on around here?" Chloe and Clark exchanged glances. "Lois, it's a long story." Clark tried to get out of the explanation to no avail. Kara copied Lois's stance and gestures.

"Then you'd better get on with it, shouldn't you?" Lois insisted. Chloe and Clark did their best to recall the strange events of the last five years. Kara listened in amazement; silently studying the way Lois and Chloe expressed themselves. Lois shook her head. "Cuz, you weren't kidding when you said Smallville was weird."

"I guess I simply don't understand all of this secrecy, Clark." Lois criticized. "My dad, the General, has been privy to all kinds of government secrets, and it's done nothing but give him a major ulcer, well, that and the fact that he drinks like a fish."

Chloe tried to explain: "Lois, think about it. The Department of Children and Family Services could've taken Clark away from Mr. and Mrs. Kent before he turned eighteen. DCFS would've likely sent him to the military, where the shadow government would experiment on him like a lab rat. They probably could've killed him in the process. Kara faces that same nightmare scenario. Now do you understand the shroud of secrecy?"

Lois was unusually silent. "Got it, cuz. There goes my Pulitzer Prize winning story." Chloe sighed. "Lois, there are plenty of stories out there waiting for us." Clark couldn't have agreed more. "For now, the issue at hand is…shopping." Lois began playfully. Kara's big blue eyes lit up. "I'll take Kara into Metropolis and get her some clothes, purses, shoes, and unmentionables." She volunteered.

"No! No way!" Clark protested. "Didn't you hear what we just told you?" Lois's mood darkened. "Yes. You also just told me that another reason you were so hyper about secrecy, was so you could attempt to live a normal life, Smallville. You owe that to Kara as well." The alien teen edged away from Clark towards Lois. Chloe whistled. "Okay, time out, everyone."

Clark was mad at Lois, but at the same time he admired her spirit, challenging him. She knew the truth about him and Kara, and it didn't faze her a bit. _Maybe I was wrong not to trust her_…he considered that. "Clark, the reality is that Kara needs all that Lois mentioned." Chloe tried to play referee. "Unless you really want to take your sixteen-year old cousin underwear shopping." Clark tried to remain stoic. _Chloe made a good point_. "Okay, but I don't have the money handy."

Lois waved him off. "Don't worry about it Clark. I just got my first real check from the _Daily Planet_. Your mom can reimburse me when she gets a chance. Besides, I need a whole new set of outfits. The _Planet_'s editor, Perry White, insists on a dress code, though his ideas of fashion are a bit outdated." Kara's eyes pleaded with Clark to let her go. "Fine." He acquiesced. "You all can go tomorrow. Most of the stores are closed by now, anyway." Kara smiled brightly.

"You must be tired…" Clark began. Kara shook her head. "Not me, Kal. Don't forget I've been asleep for many years. I'm too excited anyway." Lois smirked. _Just like my sister Lucy_, she mused. Chloe sighed.

"Is our summit meeting concluded? By the way, what exactly do you plan to do with the ship and the phantom creature, Clark?" Kara paced across the dining room, occasionally leaving her feet and floating around. Lois gawked. "Um…Kara…you'll have to pay attention."

"Huh?" The alien had forgotten that she was defying gravity. "Oh, sorry." Kara landed lightly on the well-worn carpet. "How'd you like a tour of the farm, Kara?" Clark offered. "Ooh! There's a rockin' good time! Yee haw!" Lois teased, cracking Chloe up. Kara smirked. "I don't mind."

"Okay, Chloe and I will head back to civilization." Lois said, as she grabbed her purse. "Um…cuz…a word, please." Chloe gestured for Lois to come in closer. She whispered in Lois's ear. Clark could certainly hear what she said, but out of respect, he ignored them. Kara giggled. She could hear Chloe as well. "Okay, got ya." Lois snickered. "I believe Chloe and Jimmy want some alone time. You're stuck with me tonight, Smallville. Couch city, super hero." She teased.

Chloe left, taking Lois's ride. Before their night together, Jimmy and Chloe would have to go back to Reeves Dam and retrieve her car. "After your farm tour, I say we order some pizza, and expose Kara to the evils of junk food." Lois suggested. "Don't worry, Clarkie, it's on me." Kara stared at her blankly. "Clarkie?" She echoed. "Kara, don't start." Clark warned playfully.

"Don't you have some hogs to slap?" Lois taunted Clark. "The phrase is 'slop the hogs', and no we don't have any." Clark said sourly. It was early evening, when Clark and Kara started out. "Are you sure you don't want to come, Lois?" Clark returned her barb. "Nope, been there, done that."

Lois kicked back on the couch, content to sip her latte and digest all that had occurred today. _Man, this is a freak show_, she mentally grumbled. Lana had been right all the long, aliens from another world had come to Earth. Some were evil, and some were secretive, like Clark and Kara.

_How many more were there? Was an invasion of Earth imminent? If so, were Clark and Kara_ _powerful_ _enough to stop them_? Lois rubbed her throbbing temples. She toyed with the idea of taking a walk to the barn to investigate Kara's ship and the creepy Clark look-alike's body, but thought better of it.

She sighed, clicked the remote, and flipped on the TV. _Lex Luthor will be arraigned_ _tomorrow on charges that he killed his fianc_ée, Lana Lang… The anchorperson said. "He better not have offed her! I'll take him down, myself!" Lois muttered. _There's my big story_…_Chloe warned me_ _not to get involved_…_I'll be damned if I'll let Lex get away with any of this_!

Clark and Kara slowed to a stop near the Kent Farm's corral. The horses whinnied at their sudden appearance, but Clark calmed the startled beasts by talking to them. "Wow! You live here?" Kara said excitedly. "I mean this is all yours?" Clark nodded. "It belongs to our family, yes. I wish you could've met my foster father, Jonathan. You would've liked him, and he'd like you. I'm sure of it. Dad used to try and look at the positive side of things. He died defending my secret."

"I'm sorry." Kara frowned. "Hey, this is all yours, too. You're part of our family." Clark tried to cheer his little cousin up. "I'm sure my mom will insist on it. You'll stay with us. She can't wait to meet you." Kara cuddled next to Clark as they watched the reddish gold hues of the sunset rimming the horizon. "I'm so glad I found you, Kal." Kara yawned as the colors dimmed and faded out.

"We'd better check on your ship." Clark guided Kara into the barn. There was a distinct greenish light protruding up from the cracks between the floorboards. The ship had activated! Clark hurriedly dug the spacecraft out…the body of the phantom creature was gone! Kara nervously glanced around the area, but saw no one. Clark listened intensely.

Even the slightest air movement should be heard when he focused his hearing. Nothing. Kara pressed a series of lighted symbols along the craft. It quickly shut down. "He didn't get inside! That's where all the important crystals are stored." She pointed out. "Where is he?" Clark vainly looked for footprints in the dust.

"He flew out of here." He concluded. Kara heard Lois screaming. "Get out you creep!" She yelled, followed by a loud clang. Clark used his super speed to zip back into the house. Kara was already inside. _Flying is much faster_, he observed. Lois was beating the creature with a frying pan. Naturally, it had no effect on it.

Kara had pinned one of the creature's arms against the wall, but she was losing the struggle. "Why don't you…just…die?" Lois yelled as she attempted to strangle the creature. "Not die." The Clark look-alike said hoarsely. The creature's face had deteriorated. It was silver colored, with jagged lines etched into where his cheekbones should have been.

It had yellow glowing eyes, a misshapen head, and an uneven mouth line. "Kara, save Lois!" Clark ordered as he set up his attack position. "Save Lois." The creature grumbled. Kara kicked Bizarro in the stomach, sending him through the kitchen wall and out into the front yard. Clark used his hyper speed to catch Bizarro by the throat and drive him down into the ground.

Kara flew at half speed encircling the melee. Clark and Bizarro were back on their feet in no time while Kara stopped in mid-flight and blasted Bizarro in the back with her heat vision. "Kara! No! We can't kill!" Clark yelled.

Lois stared in shock as the three powerful entities struggled both morally and physically. "It tried to kill all of us." Kara argued. Bizarro slumped into Clark's arms. Yes, but that's not the point." Clark countered. "If we kill him, then we're no better than the beings that our fathers locked up in the Phantom Zone. They didn't believe in taking a life, no matter how heinous. Do you understand?" Clark set Bizarro down. The creature shuddered. "Yes." Kara answered. "But what can we do with him?" Clark took a breath. "Still working on it." He said.

"Perhaps I can help." A large greenish black being said as it shimmered into view. "John?" Clark asked, shocked at the alien's appearance. Kara gawked as Lois strained her eyes to see the shadowy creature. "Yes Kal El, this is my true appearance. As you suspected, I am not human. I actually was born on Mars eons ago. Jor El hired me to help him with the Phantom Zone criminals, and instructed me to guide you whenever I can. Bizarro's mind is nearly a void. I can easily subdue him. The question is what can we do about it?"

Clark seemed to have only one option. "John, we'll have to take him up to the ice fortress. I still don't know how to keep him incarcerated and alive." Kara stared at the seven-foot plus green alien. "Leave that to me. I can entrap his mind to sleep." John Jonz offered. Kara caught on. "Can't we use my ship to put him into cryo-sleep?" Clark nodded. "Can you reconfigure the ship's systems?"

"I can try. It's all very complicated." Kara zipped back into the barn and emerged with her ship. "Another Kryptonian?" John asked. "Yes." Clark answered. "My cousin, Kara." John's Martian face didn't allow him to smile, but he felt good about this new addition. "Where there is caring and understanding, there is hope." John remarked. Clark cast him a sidelong glance. _Hope? What was his_ _Martian Manhunter guardian trying to say_? He'd have to question him about that later.

Clark and John set Bizarro into Kara's ship. He barely fit. She secured the creature, and then pulled out a dozen or so multicolored crystals. "He can't be allowed this information." She pointed out. "It's my collection of Kryptonian knowledge about the universe." John's big red eyes widened. "You were entrusted with the Kryptonian database?" He sounded skeptical.

"Yes. Zor El, my father, insisted I take it with me, and keep it safe." Kara replied. "Let's go." John urged. "What about Lois?" Clark asked as she darted down the steps and across the yard. "I can alter her mind if you wish." John offered. "I don't know, I don't like to mess with people's mental processes." Clark stated as Lois approached. "It is up to you, Kal El." John stood stoically.

"Can you put her to sleep for a few hours?" Clark suggested. "That, I can do." John mysteriously phased through the ground, instantly emerging behind Lois. "Clark! What the hell are you all doing out…" She yelled. John put one long arm around Lois, and she dropped like a rock. Clark used his super speed to catch her, carry her back into the house, and lay her on the couch.

John slid next to Kara. She floated up to meet him face to face. "Thank you for your help." John nodded. "You are welcome." Clark locked up the house and returned. "Ready to go? I guess I can carry the ship." He offered. "I can be of some assistance there." John said. "Kal El, all you need do is think of the location of your ice fortress, take my hand, and we will transport to it."

Clark and Kara shared the weight of the ship, each placing a hand on John's shoulder. They shimmered out of sight, and reappeared a few seconds later outside the forty story ice fortress. The 'Fortress of Solitude' was located near the North Pole atop a barren glacier. Most humans couldn't survive for long in the area. The extreme cold didn't affect John, Clark, or Kara though.

Kara gasped. "This is just like Uncle Jor El's laboratory on Krypton! He'd spend hours there, contemplating the fate of our world. In the end, there was nothing that he or my father could do." Clark put the ship down and showed John the illuminated control panel. "Raya said that this was the main power supply for the fortress." Clark looked down. "She lost her life defending it."

"There is much tragedy between all our worlds, Kal El, but I fear the worst is yet to come." John remarked cryptically. "We can lock Bizarro up in the bottom of the glacier, but how do we know that he'll survive?" Clark asked as Kara explored the upper levels of the ice fortress. "I survived the trip from Argo, Kal." She added. "And all of the years since I landed on Earth."

Kara flew back down towards Clark and John. "Your biggest strength is also your biggest weakness, Kal El." John began. "You care deeply for the denizens of Earth and those beyond, as did Jor El. You don't know the scope of your power, presently or in the future. Nor do we know what influence young Kara can have on events. If Bizarro dies, it doesn't matter." He said coldly. "It matters to me." Clark responded.

"You do think like Jor El as well." John countered. "What did you say you did for my father?" Clark grilled. "I collected criminals throughout the known universe that threatened Krypton and its neighbors. I brought them before the Council of Elders for judgment. Jor El and the Council decided their fates. Most were sent into the multidimensional prison you refer to as the Phantom Zone." Clark nodded. "Like an intergalactic policeman."

Kara followed the conversation, but was far more interested in the ice fortress control panel. She closely examined the crystalline slots that the energy crystals fit into. Suddenly she identified three of them. "Kal, some of these slots correspond with my information crystals. I'm sure of it. I can match them up. The fortress is meant to be a type of database library. Here."

Kara slipped a pink crystal into a slot that matched it geometrically. The irony wasn't lost on Clark. The entire Kryptonian library of knowledge database, as well as important information regarding the future of Earth, indeed the future of the known universe, was locked within some crystals in his old blue sweat pants, on the person of his sixteen-year old cousin who'd only been awake on Earth for less than twenty-four hours.

He silently praised Jor El and Zor el's wisdom in creating a backup database to send with Kara and all of their hopes for the future across the galaxy to a far-flung planet, prehistoric by Kryptonian standards.

Kara stepped back as a two-story sized image of a beautiful young woman with jet-black hair and vivid bluish to violet colored eyes appeared. "#&*%?" The image asked in their native Kryptonian tongue. "Aunt Lara!" Kara exclaimed. Clark's mouth dropped open. "Mother?" he choked out.

Kara ordered the image array to freeze in Kryptonian. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a short green crystal. She placed it in the appropriate slot. "American English." Kara directed, and the array restarted.

"Kara, my angel, I hope the trip from Argo wasn't too traumatic." Lara Jor El began. "As you know by now, we have all perished. I implore you to locate baby Kal El if you can. Watch over him as if he were your very own sibling..." Kara felt her stomach turn over.

"I know this is a tremendous burden to place on a young girl like yourself, but you and Kal El are the last of our race..." Kara sighed. "Hold." She ordered, and the image shimmered to a stop. Clark looked at it longingly, remembering all that he'd lost. "It's like an interactive hologram." He observed after getting over the initial shock.

Kara slipped the pink crystal out of its slot and the image of Clark's birth mother disappeared. She handed it to him, just as a new picture appeared. A gigantic image played across the upper levels of the ice fortress. It resembled a large green dragon-like creature with yellow feathered wings, bright red eyes, and two black talons.

The expansive image covered the length of the fortress, and had the breadth of about a story and a half. In one talon the beast held a simple silvery boulder, in the other it held a nasty looking black fish. Kara shuddered. "What is that?" Clark continued to study it for a moment.

"It looks like a Quetzalcoatl, the symbol of ancient Native Americans which populated Mexico, and Central and South America, before the Spaniards conquered them." John Jonz agreed. "It is actually the symbol for my people. Legend tells us that my species left Mars and visited Earth over three thousand of your years ago."

"The symbol represents our mastery of the elements, sky, soil, and water." Clark whistled. Kara cast him a sidelong glance. It was an odd sound to her. "One major element is missing." Clark pointed out. "Fire." John Jonz was uncomfortably silent, as if considering an important point.

"The element of fire is not missing by accident...my people were deathly afraid of it. We chose never to master it." John admitted. The Quetzalcoatl image shimmered out. "Why would that symbol appear now?" Clark asked Kara. "It could have been a type of alarm. If the array is activated by Kryptonian DNA, like my ship, the fortress defense system could have initiated it."

John contemplated this. "I believe Kara is at least somewhat correct. Jor El was above all a scientist, and he would've built in 'triggers' as he did with the prison construct, the Phantom Zone. He also predicted the failure of the Brain Interactive Construct, or BRAINIAC."

"Jor El correctly assessed that the system had become too powerful, and needed to be replaced." Clark shivered. "Jor El was right. Last year I was barely able to defeat BRAINIAC, and its mentor, General Zod. The fight I had, caused the release from the Phantom Zone, the seven deadly Phantom Creatures or 'Zoners' as Chloe labeled them. Zod was among them."

He turned to Kara. "Many human lives were lost..." He glanced at his feet. Kara flew to him and held him close. "That was not your fault, Kal El." John said. "Yes it is, John." Clark insisted. "I failed to obey Jor El's commands time and time again." Kara cuddled with her older cousin. "Anyway, what do we do with this Bizarro creature?"

John floated upwards toward the fortress's middle levels. "Kal El, are you sure that you wish to save this being?" Clark nodded. "Very well, the path you have chosen will be much harder now." John added mysteriously. "We can construct an ice prison, guarded by some specific crystals, to keep Bizarro incarcerated. I will alter his mind to induce a coma."

Clark didn't care for that option. He seemed to have no choice. Bizarro was immune to the green Kryptonite that would likely kill Clark. "Let's do it." Kara and John released Bizarro, who was still unconscious, from Kara's ship.

Clark hurriedly sculpted a room sized holding area in the mid-levels of the fortress, fashioning it from the surrounding ice flow. It had only one opening. He added a bed made of ice, and a multiple paned transparent doorway. Kara and John carried Bizarro inside. In seconds, John shoved his hands through the creature's head.

Bizarro convulsed. "It is done, Kal El. Bizarro may sleep indefinitely. At least that is my hope." Kara downloaded all of her crystals into the array. The ice fortress now held the most complete informational database of Krypton, and their known universe. The image array flashed a rainbow of colors across the white walls of the great room. This indicated that the array was active once more.

Multidimensional holographic images faded in and out. One caught Clark's attention. It was Jor El's deep voice that came through clearly. "There are over fifty-five thousand inhabited worlds that we know of, Kal El." Clark's eyes widened. "We were wrong, all wrong." He stated as Kara looked on from just below the intergalactic display.

"Humans. They're misinformed. They've been led to believe that they're the only ones that exist in the universe." Clark commented. "Part of that is our fault." John confided. "Meaning my people withheld that information from the humans. Our original mission was to study the humans, and assess how long it would take for them to evolve."

Clark nodded as Kara studied the image array control panel further. "They're still not ready to accept this reality." John stated. "Now they're out of time." Clark grimaced. "Because you, Kara and I are here?" He guessed. "No. Not entirely. Earth is defenseless, as compared to the technologically advanced civilizations in the galaxy."

John floated up through the three dimensional star map. "Hold." He ordered the machine in Kryptonian. "This spot here..." John pointed one long green finger at a cluster of stars in a faraway galaxy. "This area of beings represents the greatest threat to mankind."

Clark and Kara focused on the slowly revolving image. "Why?" Kara asked. "Because they are made up of groups of warrior creatures that exist solely to expand their planetary holdings. They thrive on conquest." John replied. "If they're so far away, of what possible use can Earth be to them?" Clark reasoned. "I can't say what is in their minds, yet." John responded.

"They have attacked peaceful planets, pillaged their resources, enslaved its residents, and then left the planet devoid of enough food to sustain them. To keep conquered worlds under control, they send small amounts of food and supplies to create dependence." John recalled. "What are their names?" Clark questioned as Kara encircled him.

"The humans don't have a name for them, obviously because they don't know that the beings exist." John replied. "I have studied the human language and the closest name I could come up with, was 'Daemonstrata' or 'flying demon monsters'." Kara gulped. She had no idea what a demon or a monster was. All she knew was that it sounded bad. "Terrific." Clark grumbled. "When can I just sit down, watch a movie, eat popcorn, and lead a simple life?" He asked rhetorically.

"I don't believe that is to be your destiny, Kal El, nor Kara's" John answered. "Jor El and Zor El sent you here for a number of reasons. They knew that the Earth's light atmosphere and yellow sun would strengthen you and sustain you. I believe that you are both here to protect Earth...from everything, including the Daemonstrata." Clark shook his head as Kara frowned. "I can't defeat an entire world of warriors, even with Kara's help." Clark protested. "Yes you can, Kal El. You both can."

"You have no idea how powerful you'll become. I will be here to help you...and there are others." John added hesitantly. "Others?" Clark and Kara chorused. "Yes you needn't carry the burden of Earth's safety alone. Some of the others you have already met" John said evasively. "Others sympathetic to your cause will join later." Clark saw a pattern to the extraordinary people he'd met. They chose to get involved and use their unusual abilities for good. "We are kindred spirits, Kara, you and I" John added.

"We do not belong to the human's world, yet we must band together to defend it. Everyone needs a purpose. Earth will become very important to the galaxy's future." Clark sighed. "Okay, a little cryptic, but I'll take it." Kara flew aimlessly around the fortress, examining the array's imagery. Clark had enough excitement for the day. "That pizza Lois ordered sounds really good right now." He remarked, and Kara was anxious to try all of Earth's delicacies. Kara floated down to his side.

"John, why don't you come back with us? Lois won't mind, I hope." Clark offered. "That is a very meaningful gesture, Kal El. I do appreciate it. However, now I must contact the others, and let them know that you are ready to step into a larger world. We have much to do." The Martian stated. Kara removed the sapphire blue crystal that was the 'start button' for the ice fortress image array. Immediately the console darkened, and the swirling multidimensional holograms ceased to exist, for now.

"We better not ever lose that crystal, Kara." Clark cautioned. "One more thing, John. How long until the Daemonstrata reach Earth?" He pressed. "Even I don't know that. It could be a year from now, or it could be a hundred years from now. Rest assured, they will come, and we must defeat them. Time isn't as linear as Humans think. The Daemonstrata could exist in the present, or the future, relative to Earth." John replied, which didn't help Clark at all. "How about the past?" Kara chimed in.

"Not likely, or we wouldn't be having this conversation." John responded. "Ready to return to Smallville?" The pleasant green alien offered. "Sure." Clark said as he held Kara's hand. John took one last glance around. "It was an honor to stand within one of Jor El and Zor El's creations, and I'm proud to know their offspring." He added as he held them and they shimmered out.

Sometime later, John was back in his Human disguise as Detective John Jones. Alone in a rundown hotel room, he spoke into a small cell phone. "I have found us some more help..."

End


	3. Chapter 3: Raising Kara

**The Last Daughter of Krypton**

**Raising Kara**

**Beyond Smallville**: The Last Daughter of Krypton

Chapter 3: _Raising Kara_

Clark and Kara walked casually into the mostly silent yellow ranch house. They'd been gone for hours, and the only noise they heard was Lois's snoring, and Shelby/Krypto padding towards them. The golden retriever barked and wagged his tail at their approach. Even that didn't awaken Lois, who was curled up on the couch in the den where Clark had left her.

There was a message on the answering machine from the Pizza Restaurant complaining about placing an order and not being home to pick it up. The pizza place closed in five minutes. Clark gathered some money. "Kara, stay here and keep an eye on Lois, I'll get our pizza."

The teen alien beauty nodded absently, and examined the television. "Here." Clark held the remote and pointed it at the TV, which snapped to life, startling Kara. She seated herself across from Lois and watched the network news shows. She quickly mastered the remote and began to flip channels.

Kara began memorizing every detail of information that she saw and heard, picking up the popular languages. Clark meanwhile, had zipped into downtown Smallville, listened to the pizza place's gripes, paid for the food, and sped back, placing the pizza on the kitchen table. Kara joined him and helped herself to half of the slices. "This is good, Kal!" She remarked.

"We don't have to eat too much, Kara, but I eat because I enjoy it." Clark added. "Kal, how similar are we to humans?" Kara munched happily, washing down the food with some pop. She belched, rattling the windows. Clark reddened, and smiled. "We say excuse me after that burp." He informed her. "We're almost human, as far as I can tell. Again, I've got no records to confirm that. Save some for Lois." He joked. "She'll be hungry when she wakes up."

Kara slurped the last of her pop, burping again, this time covering her mouth. "Excuse me." Clark grinned. "Kal, what was it like growing up with humans?" Clark sat back in his seat. He'd expected that question. _This is going to take a long time to answer_, he mused.

"It was tough. I never fit in with the most popular kids, until I joined the Smallville High football team. Chloe and Lana have been my friends all along. Now I have Lois, Jimmy, and some others as well. The advantage I had was that my parents guided me. Jonathan and Martha Kent always helped me whenever they could. Ultimately though, we really don't belong here." Kara sighed. "John seems to think we do."

"I was watching the…what is it? Television, and there are a lot of different people of Earth. They have different colored skin, hair, eyes, and a variety of clothing. How come we can't be like them?" She inquired. "We can try and look like them, but we'll always be aliens." Clark answered, depressing Kara further. "I like Lois and Jimmy." She remarked, trying to sound positive.

"You'll like your Aunt Martha, Chloe, and Lana, if we could find her, I'd bet." He responded. Lois began to stir, shifting positions. Clark used his super speed to clean up the table, and repackage the leftover pizza for Lois. They moved to the den and Kara used the remote to turn on the TV. Clark smiled. I hope she doesn't become addicted to reality TV.

Clark sat on the couch near Lois, and soon she slipped restlessly into Clark's lap, startling him, making Kara laugh. Lois positioned her head against Clark's stomach, and turned sideways, facing the TV. The alien teen continued to channel surf soaking in all the knowledge she could about Earth's society, no matter how minuscule. Clark on the other hand was lost in thought.

_How can I raise Kara by myself? I'm sure that my mom can help when she can, but_ _ultimately, Kara is my responsibility_. He glanced down at Lois, snoozing comfortably in his lap. _I wonder_… Kara gasped, snapping Clark back to reality. The news anchor on the TV was covering a terrorist attack story in the Middle East, which had killed dozens of people.

"Kal! How horrible! We have to stop them!" She nearly yelled. "Stop who?" Clark asked. "The terrorists! They've killed people…" Kara sounded panicky. Clark groaned. _This was going to be_ _a long night_, he mused. "Kara, that's really none of our business." He began. "What? I don't understand." She was getting upset. "John just told us that we're here to protect the humans." Clark frowned. Kara was actually right. "Shouldn't that include protecting the humans from each other?"

Kara posed an interesting question. "True, but how do we know which humans did the killing?" Clark tested his younger cousin. She considered that. "We have to catch them doing it, or before they do it." Clark beamed. "That's correct, Kara." The teen alien began to comprehend it all.

"We can be crime-fighters like on America's Most Wanted." She added. "Okay, then we'd have to investigate the crime, find out who's guilty, and then turn them into the proper authorities." He explained. "We are not above the law. We have to obey the authorities, even if we don't like it."

Kara nodded. It gave her something new to think about. Eventually, the aliens fell asleep next to Lois in front of the TV. Bright and early the next morning, Krypto bounded into the kitchen, and scratched the door to go out. Lois was still sleeping in Clark's lap, and Kara had fallen asleep on the floor…or actually, above the floor. Overnight her flying ability kicked in.

She hovered about three feet in the air. Lois awakened and fortunately hadn't fully opened her eyes yet. "Ow! My head!" She grumbled. "I haven't felt like this since the General's last New Year's Eve party at Fort Bragg." Clark heard her and stretched. "Hey Smallville! What gives?" Lois used Clark's leg to balance as she sat up. "Where'd you all go? What happened to my pizza?"

Lois opened one eye. Clark super sped to Kara shoving her down to the floor without disturbing her sleep, and zipped back onto the couch. "Well Lois, you looked so comfortable, Kara and I didn't want to wake you up." Lois glanced at his young cousin, who turned over. "Kara?" She looked blankly at Clark. "Yes. Did you forget?" Clark silently hoped that the teenager would remain asleep until Clark could get Lois moving. "I guess I did." She confessed.

Clark's heart leaped. "Lois, what do you remember?" The young journalist got up from the couch and paced across the tiled kitchen floor, absently letting Shelby/Krypto out into the yard. "Chloe and I were inside the dam…it broke…there was a fight…blood. Oh my God Clark! Chloe's been injured!" She hustled to the den to locate her cell phone. "Wait Lois! As far as I know, Chloe's fine. Let me call her, okay?" Clark silently thanked John for wiping Lois's memory clean.

He also hoped that she had no permanent mental damage. "Okay Clark!" Lois glanced at her watch, threw off her shoes, socks, and blouse, revealing her sports bra and began to dash upstairs. "I have to shower, change, grab a cup of Joe, and be at the _Daily Planet_ in an hour." Lois took the stairs two at a time. Clark smiled and shook his head as Kara snoozed in the den.

Lois came part of the way downstairs in a bath towel. "Clark, could you be a dear and get my spare clothes out of the car?" She called and quickly vaulted back up, slamming the washroom door. _The problem was that Lois's car was in Metropolis_. Clark sighed. _It's always something_.

He checked once more on his young cousin and sped off to _the Talon_, the coffee shop that doubled as a movie theater, above which, Lois and Chloe rented an apartment together. Clark knocked. There was no answer, and he used his X-ray vision to check for Chloe and Jimmy. There was no sign of them. He assumed that they had already gone to work.

Clark couldn't get Lois's car back to the farm in time for her to use and still be on time for work. He decided to pack some of her things in a sports bag. _Let's see, nice pink blouse, gray skirt, black high heels_, he placed them in the bag.

Clark gulped. _Oh yeah_. He blushed, _Lois's underwear_. He hurriedly tossed them in the bag, zipped it up, and hauled butt back to the farm. Lois was just getting out of the shower. "Clark? Did you bring my stuff?" She called down from the washroom while brushing her long sandy brown hair, with her spare hairbrush. "Um…yeah, but you forgot that you borrowed the car to Chloe last night."

"What?" Lois wiped her hair and tossed the towel into the corner of Clark's bedroom near the other dirty laundry. He ascended the stairs and handed Lois, still wearing a bath towel, her bag. "Thanks!" Lois closed the door to Clark's bedroom. He snickered, finding her antics amusing. Meanwhile, much to Clark's dismay, Kara was missing. He called Chloe at the _Daily Planet_.

He briefed her on Lois's memory lapse. "You live quite the charmed life, Clark." She joked, before hanging up. A few moments later, Lois bounded down the stairs. "How's Chloe? Hey, were we drinking last night? I don't recall seeing any empty bottles of _Gentleman Jack_ or _Captain Morgan_ lying on the floor." She quipped.

"Chloe's fine, and we had a nice quiet evening here watching movies with Kara." Clark lied convincingly. "Oh okay." Lois accepted that answer for the moment. "I take it you're driving me to work, Clark." Lois's eyes sparkled. "Apparently." He replied as he vainly searched the house for Kara with his X-ray vision. "We better get a move on!" She urged.

"It's only my first week there, and Perry will have my ass if I'm late!" Lois checked her appearance in the mirror once more and bolted for the door, snapping up a cup of coffee in her travel mug along the way. Clark reluctantly followed her to his red pickup.

_Kara, please stay out of trouble_, he silently hoped. "Move it, Smallville!" Lois ordered. Clark opened the passenger side door for Lois. "At least you remember your manners." She teased. "Whatever!" Clark said and closed the door behind her. _Things appear to be back to normal between Lois and I_, Clark thought cheerfully as they drove off.

Kara flew loops high above the amber stalks of wheat, as Krypto followed, speeding along on the ground as best that he could, barking happily. "Yee Ha!" She yelled as she swooped in low above a green and yellow field, startling a family of rabbits. Kara banked towards an old run down grain mill. The red wooden structure had fallen into disrepair, but to the alien girl it held its own form of beauty. She rocketed straight back up, pushing some serious 'G's.

Kara studied a flock of geese that honked excitedly as they flew towards the early morning sun. She dove low over a river, after checking for any fishermen, and used her high powered vision to watch the schools of fish swim by. _Earth is great_! She thought cheerfully.

Kara circled back toward the Kent Farm, sweeping a frightened Krypto up into her arms. Her superior hearing picked up some noisy machinery nearby. She dropped low into the foliage to watch it. Krypto woofed a warning and wagged his tail. "Shh boy!" She urged as the dog silenced. His ears perked up. Kara saw a green and yellow tractor harvesting a browning wheat field. An older man in blue denim overhauls and a gray plaid flannel shirt was driving it.

Another blue vehicle was parked nearby. She saw no driver. Krypto began to growl. "What's the matter, boy?" Kara asked as she popped out of her hiding place. _Blam_! A loud noise came from behind her. She felt something hit her square in the back. It didn't really hurt her, just stung a little for a second. Krypto barked and growled. Kara turned around.

She saw another old man with a long black device in his hands. "Oh my God, Charlie! Call 911! I just shot a girl!" He shouted. The man driving the tractor stopped it and asked: "What's that, Tommy?" Kara didn't know what to do. She stood there gaping at the man holding the shotgun. "Honey, are you all right?" He asked worriedly as Kara glanced around.

"Did I hit you?" The man put his gun down warily. "Uh...no." She lied. "Oh thank God! What're you doin' hangin' around in the brush, little girl?" Kara gulped. _Cousin Kal warned me to stay out of trouble, think quick, girl_, She encouraged herself. "I um...lost my dog, see?" Kara held up Krypto, with one hand, who growled and barked at the men.

"Okay, well now, git!" He ordered. "I'm sorry. I thought you were that dang coyote that's been harrassin' my hens and goats." Tommy said, eyeing her suspiciously. "Uh...I'm sorry." Kara picked up Krypto and walked away down an access road, and tried not to look like she was running.

When she felt that she was out of sight, Kara switched to hyper speed with Krypto in her arms, and took off for home. _No harm done, exactly_, she thought as the back of her white tee shirt still smoldered. Once back at the ranch house, Kara sunk into the couch and resigned herself to watching TV.

Kara absently petted Krypto while she continued to study the human culture. One thing she knew for sure was that the world was in turmoil, and Kal had told her that they couldn't interfere. _It was indeed a strange situation_, she mused. _When is he getting home_? She wondered silently. Kara sighed with resignation, and decided to investigate the Kent home.

She went through every drawer in every dresser, checked out all the closets, bedrooms, kitchen cabinets, and finally stopped at a wall of photos along the staircase. She laughed at the pictures of Clark as a child, spied Chloe wearing Clark's orange red football jersey, and located a pretty young girl with long black hair. _Hmm, that must be Lana_, she guessed as she examined their prom picture. Kara picked out a photo of an older couple with young Clark between them.

_Jonathan and Martha Kent_ she assumed. _Aunt Martha_, she fingered the slightly damaged picture. This all cheered her up, but again she regretted not meeting her Uncle Jonathan. _Jor El always spoke highly of the Kents. My father, Zor El intended for me to land on the Kent Farm, not below the dam. If only I'd been here sooner..._

Kara concluded her tour by investigating the newly rebuilt storm cellar, halfway in between the house and the barn. She'd left her spacecraft at the ice fortress, and wished that they'd brought it back with them. _I guess it doesn't matter. I have all the important information either downloaded into the image array, or contained in my blue and green crystals_. Kara noted a dim pink glow coming from the darkest corner of the emergency cellar.

_A crystal? It's not mine! It must be Kal's_! She pocketed the crystal, and headed to the barn to investigate Clark's loft. _This is way cool_, she praised. Naturally, she dug through all of Clark's things, admiring his telescope. _It was crude by Kryptonian standards, but it would do._

Kara lounged on the couch staring up at the wooden rafters. _Mom and Dad and my sisters would have loved Kal, and this world_. She dwelled on it wistfully. With that depressing thought, Kara returned outside and watched the horses galloping across the corral. Her sensitive hearing picked up the approach of a vehicle about a mile away. _I hope that's Kal on his way back._

Clark drove down the highway towards Metropolis with Lois by his side. "Can't you push this bucket any faster?" She complained. "Lois, we can't go over the speed limit." Clark said, knowing that it would irritate her further. "Oh pu-lease! What are we going to do, run over a chipmunk? There's nothing out here in West Podunk!" She took the bait.

"That's not the issue, Lois, the speed limit is the law." Clark continued to push her buttons. "I don't see any cops." She glanced around. "That still doesn't make it right." Clark argued playfully. "Fine! When I lose my job, you're going to support me and my shoe addiction by slapping hogs, milking cows, and plucking chickens!" Lois whined.

"Would that really be so bad?" Clark said before he'd thought it through. Lois missed his _faux pas_ at first. She recovered quickly. _"_Did you just make a pass at me, Smallville?_"_ Clark reddened_. "_Nope_."_ Lois glanced out the window. "Oh." She sounded disappointed.

Clark wrote her reaction off to too much stress brought on by the preceding days, starting a new job, and finally John messing with her head. "Relax Lois." Clark soothed. "We still have plenty of time to get you to work."

Lois grunted absently as Clark grinned. "My head still hurts. Remind me to take some aspirin before I start. Perry will hang me if my article isn't spot on." A bit later they pulled into the _Daily Planet_ parking lot. Chloe and Jimmy were just going across the street for coffee.

"Hey!" Jimmy waved as Lois leaned across the car and kissed Clark on the cheek, shocking him. "Whoa! What were they doing last night?" Jimmy asked a wide-eyed Chloe. "Oh c'mon Jimmy, this is Lois and Clark that we're talking about. That's like throwing gasoline into a fire." Jimmy shrugged. "Yeah, but my eyes don't deceive me." He defended. "No they don't." Chloe agreed. "Hmmm." Clark opened the door for Lois. "Why did you just kiss me?"

"I have no idea!" Lois growled. "Don't get too excited about it." He locked up the truck and followed Lois towards Chloe and Jimmy. "Good morning my fellow _Daily Planeteers_, what's new in the world?" Lois asked with unusual cheerfulness. "You tell me." Jimmy teased as Chloe elbowed him in the gut. "What do you think about Lex?" Chloe began.

"Lex? What about him?" Clark scowled as Chloe rolled her eyes. "Where were you two, on another planet?" Jimmy admonished them as Chloe and Clark exchanged glances. "Not exactly." Clark answered sheepishly. Lois frowned. "Clark and I were sleeping like babies." Jimmy whistled. "I see." Clark flushed. "What about Lex?" Lois asked with curiosity.

"You top notch reporters missed ol' baldy being hauled away in cuffs by the cops." Jimmy filled them in. "They think he...uh...killed Lana." Chloe added hesitantly. "She's not dead." Clark insisted with irritation. Lois put her hand on Clark's shoulder. "Now Smallville, I liked Lana, too, but maybe you ought to accept that the hairless bastard could've offed her." Lois stated coldly. "They found Lana's truck in an alley, what's left of it. The thing was blown to bits. I'm sorry." Chloe put in. "No! I don't believe it!" Clark argued vehemently.

"We both know what Lex is capable of." Chloe added. "He threatened to knock me off as well, if I didn't bury my Level 33.1 story about Luthorcorp. I swallowed my pride and backed off." Lois suddenly held Clark tight, which seemed to calm him down a bit. "Don't worry! The bastard will pay for what he did to Lana, and my friend Wes, I guarantee it!" Lois said with unusual conviction. Clark wasn't buying it, and he didn't let go of Lois, Chloe noted.

"As mean and vindictive as Lex can be, I doubt very much that he killed Lana. It's not his style. It would be too obvious." Clark forced his temper to calm. "It's more likely that when Lex found out that Lana was leaving him, he would've come after me." Chloe nodded. "You're probably right Clark, but then what _is_ going on?"

Clark was silent as Lois opened the door to the coffee shop. "It was nice to watch baldy take the perp walk, well worth the price of admission." Jimmy remarked. "I hate to rain on your 'save Lex' parade, but what if he did it? I mean it's a crime of passion, right?" Clark disagreed. "Lana came to me before we went to Reeves Dam. She said that she was leaving Lex and...that she was leaving Smallville." Lois placed their orders. "You better make it quick, Marty." She added. "I have to be at my desk in ten minutes."

Chloe and Jimmy considered all this. "She booked!" Chloe exclaimed. "It makes perfect sense. Lana pretends to die so Lex won't hunt her down." Jimmy snapped his fingers. "Of course! Lana splits for parts unknown, and gets her yuks out of seeing _Uncle Fester_ squirming for a while under the long arm of the law! She'll probably let him stew for a few days, cooling his jets in the slammer. Then she makes an appearance on the net, or places a call, stating that _Richie Rich_ is innocent." Clark nodded. "I agree." Chloe wasn't convinced.

Lois grabbed her coffee, paid for it, and turned to Clark, kissing him again. "Don't get used to it, Smallville." She smiled as she wiped the lipstick off Clark's cheek. "This girl has got to clock some time in her cubicle. Chloe, Jimmy, see you upstairs." Chloe gawked as Clark rubbed his chin. "What?" Chloe smirked. "She's got it bad, Clark. Good luck!"


	4. Chapter 4: Traveler

**The Last Daughter of Krypton**

**Traveler**

Clark had been riding Kara about trying to fit in, after explaining that John Jonz had somehow wiped part of Lois's memories clean. He didn't want her to attract any unwarranted attention, but Kara was not Clark. The alien teen had talked her way into a part time job at the Talon. This put her directly in Lex Luthor's path. Kara had no idea what was about to happen. She quickly filled multiple coffee orders for the Talon customers.

Kara also couldn't resist judicious use of her super powers. Glancing around the room to make sure no one was watching, she sped through cleaning the counter, pouring the coffees, and restocking the pastry display. In walked Lex Luthor, wearing his usual black full length coat, blue dress shirt with open collar, and his designer shoes which cost more than Kara made in a week.

Lex stood out like a sore thumb. He seated himself near the window overlooking the bustling downtown Smallville area. Kara knew who he was of course, based on Clark and Chloe's warnings. She hoped that he'd forgotten all about her rescue. Kara's hopes were soon dashed. She had to wait on his table.

Kara learned quickly how to assimilate into the human culture. She flashed a bright toothy smile at him. "Can I help you, sir?" Lex was unaware of her at first, but soon recovered. "Yes thank you, can I have a double latte and a raspberry Danish please?" He glanced up at her and their eyes met. "Certainly, sir." Kara tried to politely escape, but it was too late.

"You!" Lex nearly shouted as he read her name tag. "Me what?" Kara nervously played it off. "You're the one who saved me." His eyes grew large. "Saved you from what?" She asked innocently. "That day at Reeves Dam. You're one of them!" Lex accused.

"Excuse me?" Kara feigned irritation. Lex forced himself to calm down. "Who are you?" Kara sighed and pointed to her name tag. "Kara Kent. I'll get your order, now." She hurried away before Lex continued. This exchange went largely unnoticed, with the exception of a couple seated nearby. They also didn't quite fit in with the common clientele of the Talon.

A tall, stocky man, with short cropped black hair, a squared jaw, green eyes, and wearing an expensive gray and black business suit faced Lex. He appeared to be in his early thirties. The guy observed the frantic discussion between Lex and Kara, but made it a point not to make eye contact with either of them. Opposite him was a younger attractive female.

She was muscularly built but still quite feminine in appearance. The lady had long flowing reddish blonde hair, clear sky blue eyes, high cheekbones, and a small face. She wore an elegant, off the shoulder black dress, which made every hayseed man, trucker, and working class teenage boy stare at her. They were obviously not from Smallville.

Fortunately, the locals had short attention spans and soon went back to contentedly munching on their snacks and downing coffee. Kara had no choice but to serve Lex. She returned promptly, hoping to speed the uncomfortable situation along. It was to no avail. Lex was now obsessed with young Kara. "Your order sir, is there anything else I can get you?"

"Yes. You're related to Clark Kent, aren't you?" Lex was over his initial shock by now and was into being catty. "Yes, Clark is my cousin. I just moved here from Minnesota." She declared, devoid of emotion. "Do you know who I am?" Lex began. "Should I?" Kara sniped.

"Yes. I'm Lex Luthor, the owner of this establishment." He tried to keep the anger out of his voice with limited success. "Really?" Kara extended a hand. "Pleased to meet you." She said, far too sweetly. "I've only just been hired. Thanks, by the way." Lex was stunned.

"You're not fooling anyone you know." Lex challenged in a low menacing tone. "I've been saved from a watery grave twice by people named Kent. I don't believe in coincidence." Kara gulped. "I'm afraid you have me confused with somebody else." She defended.

Lex was about to press the point, when the man at the nearby table gestured towards Kara. "Excuse me, miss? I don't mean to be a bother..." He began. Kara nodded to Lex. "I hope you find who you're looking for, Mr. Luthor." She spun on her heel and went to take the man's request.

"I'm afraid I've let my coffee sit too long. Can you heat it up again for me?" He asked as his lady friend smirked. Kara smiled brightly, relieved to be away from Lex. "Certainly, sir. Is there anything I can get for you, miss?" The lady smiled warmly. "No thanks, I'm good."

Kara reached for the man's coffee, bending over the table. He pretended to knock it over, but Kara's reflexes were too fast. She snapped up the coffee before it would've fallen. "Oh my!" The man exclaimed, "I'm so clumsy today." The woman fought back a snicker.

"No problem." Kara said calmly. "I'll be right back." She left to refill the coffee machine. Meanwhile, the female customer shook her long locks. "Smooth, Marcus, really smooth!" She folded her hands on the table. "You really think she's the one, mate?" The man casually glanced down. He put away a small gray device, about the size of a cell phone, in his suit coat pocket.

"We will find out shortly, Zara." The man replied, adding: "Did you see the speed of her reaction to the spilling cup?" Zara nodded. "Yes, but that alone proves bloody nothing." Marcus nodded. "We've had our suspicions for years. The government has many layers of secrets."

He added conspiratorially. "The Shadow Departments have known for decades..." Marcus was interrupted by Kara's return. "Here you go, sir." She stated pleasantly. "Will that be all?" Zara quickly sized up Kara, committing her features to memory. "Yes, thanks." He answered.

Kara ripped the check from her book and gave it to Marcus. "As you might have surmised, we're new around here." He casually struck up a conversation. "Marcus Worthington." The man held out a hand, and Kara carefully shook it. "This is my girlfriend, Zara Rolfe."

"Kara Kent." She nodded towards Zara. "Pleased to meet you. I'm actually new to the area as well." She held back a snicker. "Thank you, and have a good day." Kara said loud enough for Lex to hear. Zara sneered. "You are a real piece of work, Marcus. She didn't notice the micro-sized tracking device you attached to her blouse at all." He returned a half-hearted smile. Zara simply shook her head.

"You know, mate, I've seen a lot of weird things in my life, yet I don't ruddy believe that I've ever seen a space alien before." Marcus folded his hands before him. "Now you have." He stated casually. "I still think you're a bit wonkey, Marc. Are you sure that this type o' thing is going on?" He gave her a barely perceptible nod. "Absolutely." They get up, leaving Kara a substantial tip. Marcus pretends to spot Lex. "Lex Luthor."

Lex was in no mood for polite conversation. "Well hello! How are you?" Marcus began pleasantly. Lex gazed up from his Danish. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" He forced himself to be civil. Zara flanks Lex, staring down at the young billionaire. He cast a glance her way.

"Marcus Worthington, President and CEO of WorthingtonCo out of Chicago." He introduced himself and gestured towards Zara. "Now you I know." Lex added. "International Archaeology Weekly, correct?" She nodded confirmation. "Professor Zara Rolfe. Charmed, I'm sure."

Lex noted that Zara's voice lacked a certain sincerity. "You're the daughter of Professor Andre Rolfe." He extended a hand to them. "Would you care to join me?" Marcus shook his head. "Regrettably, we can't stay. By the way, you know me from a recent bidding war for the new Space Station, which could be sponsored by a number of progressive thinking countries across the globe."

"Of course." Lex stated coldly. "WorthingtonCo, WayneCo, and LuthorCorp were the three finalists for the lucrative international contracts. As I recall, you lost." He threw in the dig. Marcus wouldn't be swayed. "As did LuthorCorp. WayneCo hasn't finalized all the details yet."

"Good. Maybe LuthorCorp can still come up with a piece of the action." Lex said hopefully. "One never knows, does one?" Marcus's eyes narrowed. Zara grinned evilly. "No, one doesn't." Lex was growing impatient. "Best of luck, Lex." Marcus said cordially. "Zara, I guess we're off."

"Nice meeting you, Mr. Luthor." Zara took Marcus's arm. "We're off then. Good day." Lex waved them away and began to scowl, as Kara had apparently disappeared. Zara and Marcus strolled out into the bright afternoon sunlight.

"Do you think Lex knows?" Zara prodded as she beeped the alarm on her late model Mercedes SUV. "He knows something, I assure you." Marcus replied. "The question is how much...and can we get to her first?"

"How does one approach a young space alien, Marc?" Zara questioned playfully. "Carefully my dear, very carefully." He smirked and opened the door for her. "Now let's see what we've got?" Marcus plugged in the flash drive to the SUV computer system, which was cleverly disguised as a GPS. The computer assimilated the data and began to process it. Zara started up her truck and they drove off towards Metropolis. "As I suspected..." Marcus added. "Her vitals are all off as compared to a normal human female."

"Wow! The bone and muscle density far surpasses any known beings in our database." Marcus studied the readings. "Audio and visual senses are way off the charts." Zara gulped. "I'm not sure if I like where this is going, mate."

"Zara, I surmise that young Kara could easily toss our SUV across a road, travel to near the speed of light, hear us from miles away, and see us from miles above." Marcus shook her head. "You'd better not piss her off, then, Ducky." Zara said as the truth set in.

"No question about that, love." Marcus agreed. "How would you get her out to Arizona?" Zara wondered aloud. "And should you?" Marcus placed the flash drive back in his jacket pocket.

"I'd try to catch our little butterfly with honey, not vinegar." Marcus said. "In any event, she wouldn't come out unless I asked her nicely and promised to keep her identity secret." Zara nodded. "You're taking an awful chance, Marc."

"True. In my estimation, the risk is worth it." The billionaire added. "We could learn so much from her, just by discussing the state of the world and its future." Zara sighed and flipped on the auto tracking device that Marcus placed on Kara's blouse.

It beeped to life, showing Kara as a red dot back at the Talon. "You'd better hope that she doesn't locate the pin, Marc, or you'll likely be one dead beau." Zara warned. "You know me, honey, I believe in people's inherent good nature." He joked.

Zara sped into Metropolis where she was due to appear at a spectacular display of some ancient Egyptian artifacts at the Metropolis Museum of Natural History. She'd pulled some of the artifacts out of Egyptian pyramids herself.

"The Swann Institute has been tracking the possibility of space aliens visiting Earth and living among us for decades, until Virgil Swann passed away a few years ago." Marcus informed her. "We will succeed where they've failed."

Zara grinned brightly. "Marc, I can't tell whether you're daft or a genius!" She teased. "You haven't seen the body of evidence yet, my dear." Marcus countered. "Ah yes, the mysterious Area 51?" Zara prodded. "Hardly." He replied.

They crawled along in the heavy early morning traffic in downtown Metropolis. "Area 51 is archaic by WorthingtonCo standards." Marcus playfully boasted. "Oh, well Marc, nothing impresses a girl like traversing through levels and levels of research and development labs. It's on to Arizona, then?"

"Not just yet, love." Marcus said kindly. "We are going to introduce ourselves again to young Kara Kent and her family, if she has one." Zara's large eyes narrowed. "That's quite a bold move, Marc."

"I understand." Marcus continued. "We are nearly out of time. The Swanns, The Teagues, The Luthors, and The Queens have all tried to corral our traveler and failed.

Dr. Swann never fully trusted the other members of his secret society, Veritas. That is how I came into possession of the artifact." He explained. "The inexplicable seven faceted broach?" Zara guessed. "Exactly, love." Marcus confirmed.

"When you unearthed it below the Aztec ruins right here in our backyard within Central Mexico, I knew that it was more than an unusual find. Our radiological studies have affirmed that the item emits far more white energy than a common piece of gaudy decorative jewelry." He added.

"I _was_ having a hard time matching it with any of my outfits." Zara joked. "On you anything looks lovely or for that matter, _nothing_ on you looks lovely." Marcus flirted, cracking Zara up. "Shame on you, Marcus." She playfully chided him following up with a passionate kiss.

The couple pulled into the Hotel Beaumond parking lot in downtown Metropolis. Naturally, Marcus had rented the most expensive suite, high atop the world renowned hotel. They had a valet park their SUV and headed upstairs via the VIP entrance elevator. Marcus held the door for Zara as they entered the three bedroom penthouse.

Two young women were busily attaching Marc's devices to the room's limited electric outlets, and internet connectors. "Afternoon, boss." A pleasant young woman with long straggly blonde hair, green eyes, and classic European facial features said. "Miss Rolfe."

The second young woman glanced up from her laptop. She had shoulder length reddish brown hair, brown eyes, and a round face. "Afternoon, Tara, Charlene. Are we all set up?" Marc questioned, not anticipating any problems.

"Good to go, boss!" Tara replied. Charlene agreed. "We're hooked up and secured, Level 29 encryption." Tara nodded. "Great!" Marc said appreciatively. "Ladies, you are now welcome to hit the main Metropolis Shopping District." He dismissed them politely.

Zara snickered as the two young women, most likely in their early twenties, hustled to gather their things. _It's like a bloody army_, Zara silently praised. _Everything's planned down to the last_ _flippin' detail_. "Mr. W.?" Charlene began. "Elisa Spencer called from the ranch. She'd like you to call her back at your earliest convenience."

"Thank you Charlene." Marc acknowledged. He opened a box filled with credit cards. "Here's your budget detail, and don't forget to tip everyone substantially." He directed, handing the girls their cards.

"Have a good trip home." Tara said as she passed them. "Miss Rolfe, good luck with your seminar." "Thank you Tara." Zara said cordially. "Yes, we'll see y'all back at WorthingtonCo." Charlene said pleasantly as she exited the suite at Tara's side, locking the doors as they left.

"Alone, at last." Zara sighed as she kissed Marcus. "I'm hitting the shower." She mentioned. "I'll check on our little project." He announced, inserting the high tech flash drive in the laptop computer port. The girls had painstakingly set up the laptop with the highest encryption.

"Ah, here she is." He remarked as the laptop screen came up. "Our bird has flown away for the day." Zara glanced over her boyfriend's shoulder. The red dot had quickly moved from the Talon to a place some miles away, nearly within the blink of an eye.

"Wow!" Marc exclaimed as Zara whistled. Kara had zipped twenty or more miles in no time. "That's some fast bird!" She commented. "You don't suppose…?" Marc and Zara exchanged glances. "She flew?" Zara gasped.

"Marc, what've we got our bums into?" Marcus shook his head. "Curiouser and curiouser." He commented. "Beats the hell out o' the bloody local traffic jams." Zara remarked. "I should say so." Marcus agreed.

He studied Kara's route and quickly triangulated her current position. "Outside of Smallville….likely a farm." He added after double checking and confirming his analysis. "After your museum engagement, we'll return to young Kara's home."


	5. Chapter 5: Lex's Club G

**The Last Daughter of Krypton**

**Rescue**

Lana had become lucid enough to reassess her life. She'd reached the conclusion that it was time to move on before she was dragged into yet another catastrophe. Hand wringing and soul searching aside, Lana was out of options.

Lana pointed out to Clark that there was only so much more she could do to save their relationship. Clark's feelings had begun to change as well. He could ask no more of Lana. "Clark, your destiny is far greater than our lame attempts to be 'normal'." She said tearfully.

"The fact is that life with you would never be normal." Lana added as Clark stood by stoically waiting for her to finish her say. "I'm tired, Clark." She continued. "I'm tired of the lies on top of lies, the crises, and the disappearances for long periods of time."

"Please say something." Lana begged. "You're right." Clark replied hesitantly. "I'm an alien and I don't belong here." Lana blew her hair out of her eyes in frustration. "That's not the point..." Clark cut her off. "Yes it is, Lana." He steeled his resolve. "It's not fair to you."

"Your life can still be normal." He mentioned. "I'll just sit here and..." Clark took a seat on the swing on the wrap around front porch of the neatly painted Kent ranch house. Lana settled in next to him. "No you won't!" She interrupted him.

"You will not waste the gifts that you've been given. Clark, you have to face it. Jor El sent you here to protect Earth from whatever! I'm just holding you back. Besides..." She took his hands in hers. "I want to live normally. I want to get up in the morning and not fear for my life."

"I don't want to be up all night worrying about where you are, or what form of apocalypse is heading our way." Lana concluded. "You're just giving up?" Clark was skeptical. "Yes. There's nothing more I can do to help you. All the money I got from Lex has been spent."

"I have some savings to start a new life. Most of the divorce settlement I spent on the Isis Foundation or have given away to charities. The government has confiscated all of my surveillance equipment." Lana cuddled Clark and leaned on his shoulder.

"Then there's the issue of children." Lana glanced away nervously. "Lana, I'm not sure if I can..." Clark reddened. "Exactly my point." She cut him off again. "This is the only option, Clark. We need to stop fooling ourselves. One day the world will need you...more than I do."

Clark choked on his next words. "I love you." Lana kept right on crying. "I love you, too. That won't ever change, but maybe I'm not the right girl for you."

Clark's depressing dream was thankfully interrupted by a knocking at the door to his room. "Rise and shine, Kent! Girl alert!" Lois Lane shoved the door open catching Clark in his bright red underwear and nothing else. She snickered at the sight.

Clark had forgotten that the night before, he'd _rescued_ his new good friend. Last night a besotted Lois Lane had been out drowning her sorrows.

_**Flashback**_: Lois sat on a barstool alone in the trendy and overpriced _Club G_ in downtown Central City.

Lois vacantly stirred the ice in her fourth Margarita. Central City was a big college town as well, and the pretty twenty-two year old Army brat had grown tired of the hayseed boys of Central Kansas. All they cared about was sports and getting some.

_They thought women were interchangeable, like tires and motor parts on their dusty old pickup trucks_, Lois considered sourly. Naturally a loser happened upon Lois for the third time this evening. "Hey sweetie, you look bored, he slurred." The slick haired boy began.

"Why don't you join us at the table off to the left?" The college pretty boy offered. Lois glanced over at their table through bloodshot eyes. They were fairly typical local students, who drank too much, and hadn't scored one woman all evening.

"We're going to play quarters, and every time you miss popping a quarter into the glass, you have to do a shot." He explained. Lois had gotten her fill for the evening. "You want to play games pretty boy? Here's one! Hide and seek. You go hide and I'll count to a billion! Ready? Set? Go!" The loser got her message immediately. _Been there, done that_! Lois fumed.

"Chill baby! If you don't want to play, just say so!" Loser boy grumbled as he stalked off to lick his wounds and trash talk Lois to his buddies. "I think you've had enough, young lady!" The mafia type bartender told Lois discreetly. She stared over at him with glazed eyes.

"I'll tell you when I've had enough! I'm no Sorority Susie here!" Lois snapped loudly. Her attitude had been bad since Oliver left her some weeks ago, and her Daily Planet editor ended up dead with a bullet or two in his gut. "Another Margarita!" She barked.

Lois dug out her small handbag and looked for some money. She had exactly one dollar and thirteen cents left. "Oops! Belay that, Gino." Lois said to the bartender. "I think that I've had enough. A glass of water, please." She added contritely. Gino walked away shaking his head.

Lois pulled out her cell phone and punched up her cousin Chloe's number at the Daily Planet. Clark sat staring vacantly at Chloe's computer screen. "Okay, spill it Clark!" Chloe ordered. "What has Lana done or not done now?" He refused to meet Chloe's penetrating gaze.

"Lana and I are history, Chlo'" The young super hero replied. "Is that the third or fourth time this month?" Chloe asked cynically. "This is it, Chloe. She's given up." Clark responded soberly. "Oh c'mon Clark, get a grip! You know how unstable she is." Chloe smirked.

"If this keeps up you will be _getting a grip_, won't you?" Clark frowned. "Funny, Chloe, real funny." He added petulantly. "Geez, Clark, you and Lana are only around twenty one years old." She reasoned. "You have your whole lives ahead of you." Clark finally made eye contact with her. "I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her." He grimaced. _At least the rest of her life_, he thought dejectedly.

"Yeah, well I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Brad Pitt or Orlando Bloom." She said tersely. "We can't always get what we want." She added. "No, I'm not quoting the Rolling Stones! Maybe Lana wasn't the right girl for you." _Maybe I am, then again, why would I want to play sloppy seconds_? Chloe mused. I_ have Jimmy, who is uncomplicated and has fewer issues. If Lois was here_...

"Clark, did you know that Lois is in Central City right now?" Chloe began. "So?" Clark asked absently, though he welcomed a change of subject. "What's she doing there?" Chloe laughed. "I shudder to think, probably dancing on the tables of some trendy club by now."

"Seriously though, Lois has been down and out since losing Oliver and Grant." Chloe added solemnly. "Clark, she started drinking again. I'm worried about her." Clark nodded. Central City was the second largest city in the Midwest. It was located about eighty miles from Metropolis.

Chloe's phone played a popular rock hit. "Speak of the devil!" She flipped open her cell and said: "Hey Lo' what's up?" Clark listened with detached interest. His super hearing picked up Lois's end of the conversation.

"Hey little cousin." Lois slurred. "How's things in the Obit Department?" Chloe rolled her eyes. "You might say that they're dead." She replied sarcastically. "You did not just say that!" Lois giggled. Clark had never heard Lois giggle before.

It seemed contradictory to her personality type. "How's your stud muffin, Jimmy?" Lois asked. Chloe barely heard her over the pounding bass of the nightclub's speaker system.

Lois had wandered towards the exit, staggering slightly. Clark attempted to tune out the girls' private conversation. He resumed reading the info on the computer screen he was seated in front of.. _Maybe I should try on line dating_, He thought facetiously. _Here's the profile: Lonely alien seeks warm human female's company for possible long term relationship, and to create a new hybrid race of mutant alien humanoids...yeah, that would get a lot of responses._

Clark reluctantly picked up an interesting part of the girls' discussion. "Getting enough?" Lois had asked playfully. "Never." Chloe replied... "Yeah, Lo' he's right here." She added as she glanced up at a horrified Clark Kent. He wildly gestured with his hands and mouthed the words 'no, I'm not here. I just left.' Chloe's eyes sparkled. She'd been waiting to torment Clark all evening. "I'll have him swing by and pick you up."

Clark slapped his hand against his forehead. "Clark, Lois lost her car keys and watch. She can't get into her car." Chloe placed her hand over the cell's mouthpiece. "I'd have her call the cops and tell them to bring a slim-jim, but she's totally wasted.

That wouldn't be a smart move." Clark grimaced. "Chloe, I didn't bring the truck." He argued. "You want me to go home and get it, and then drive eighty miles to pick her up?" Chloe put her phone on mute. "Clark, I'm worried about her. She's been drinking an awful lot lately. Even for her, this is abnormal. I think she's got a problem. Besides, she's so blitzed that she probably wouldn't even notice that you were _sans_ truck."

Clark put up his hands in resignation. "Fine, I'll just invent another stupid lie to cover my tracks." He sighed. _Lying was just too easy of late_, he mused. Chloe smiled. "Thanks bro' I owe you one." Clark nodded. "Big time!" Chloe flipped her phone back to talk. "Lois? Lois?" She could barely hear her cousin's voice. "I'm sending Clark over to help..." The connection broke as the phone clicked off. "Damn it!" She put the phone back in her desk.

Chloe turned to face Clark. "I love Lois like a sister, but she's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Since your dad died, she hasn't really been the same." Chloe admitted. "Really?" Clark found that interesting. "I guess we all have to grow up sometime. Maybe she just can't deal."

"I don't know Clark, I've never seen her this bad. After your dad, Wes, Oliver, and Grant, she may be past her breaking point. I also think that she's obsessed with bringing down Lex." Chloe stated worriedly. "I'll go and get her." Clark confirmed. "Maybe I can find her keys and watch."

Chloe reached into her purse and pulled out two crisp twenty dollar bills. She handed them to Clark. "What's this for?" He scoffed. "In case of emergency." Chloe smirked. "Like what?" He retorted. "In case you need bail money, gas money, to pay a bar tab, or get a motel room." She teased.

"Nice!" Clark scowled. "Thanks again Clark. Who knows? You may be saving a life or two tonight by keeping my drunken cousin off the roads." She said half seriously. "Guilt trip much?" Clark asked sourly. "See you." With that, Clark dashed away in the blink of an eye.

His wake scattered papers in all directions. _You know, I'll never truly get used to that_, Chloe shook her head as she reclaimed the items.

A few moments later the Man of Steel slowed his speed as he approached the lights at the outskirts of Central City. He reduced his momentum to a fast jog and came up to the rear entrance of _Club G_. The pounding beat of the bass speakers had already started to give him a headache.

Clark warily paid the ten dollar entrance fee at the door and set about searching the chattering audience for Lois. He winced every time the DJ hit a beat. _I'd better do this quickly_, he thought, scoping out the dance floor first, and then the horseshoe bar at the club's rear wall.

_There she was_! Lois was wearing a nice, simple, low cut black spaghetti strap dress and was calmly sipping a tall glass of water with a twist of lemon. She doesn't look like she's in distress, Clark mentally grumbled. He worked his way towards her, snaking his way through the crowd.

A few of the female co-eds dancing together watched Clark appreciatively. He was woefully underdressed for this establishment, not that he cared. He wore his trademark red plaid flannel shirt, blue jeans, and work boots. Frankly Clark was surprised that the bouncers let him in.

The burly guards at the club's entrance didn't even bother to card him. Then he realized why. Just beyond Lois, engraved in a large wall mirror behind the bar, were the brightly painted initials "LL". Naturally, the nightclub was owned wholly or in part by Luthorcorp.

Nearly every girl's head turned as Clark walked past, and he finally reached Lois. The place was obviously a meat market, he observed. "Hey Lois!" Clark shouted over the aggravating din.

At first Lois scowled, expecting another loser guy (or girl!) to hit on her. When she recognized him, Clark thought that she looked…strange. Lois smiled brightly and peered at him through glassy eyes. Clark forced a polite return grin.

He wrinkled his nose. Lois's breath reeked of tequila. That alone would have been enough incentive for the police to bust her.

_Chloe had done the right thing_, he mused. "Hey Smallville! What brings you all the way out here?" Lois slurred. "You!" Clark said abruptly. "Your cousin's worried about you, remember?" he nearly shouted over the sonic assault, making his headache worsen.

Clark reluctantly took a seat next to her. "Oh Chloe's a worry wart! I'm fine!" Lois leaned towards him seductively with a lusty grin on her face. _Uh huh,_ Clark thought sourly. "I lost my damn car keys and watch, though."

Gino the bartender came up to Clark and asked him what he wanted to drink. "A tall glass of water." He replied coldly. "Ooh! Yet another big spender! This must be my lucky night." Gino's voice dripped with sarcasm. He returned promptly with the water, rolling his eyes at Clark.

Just to be nice, Clark tipped him a dollar. Lois's gaze was straightforward and unfocussed. Finally she cocked her head, letting her chestnut brown hair fall to one side of her thin face.

In an alcohol enhanced view, she suddenly found Clark strangely attractive. "So are all of the tractor pulls, hoedowns, and monster truck rallies done for the night back in dullsville?" Lois snarked.

"Yeah, we pretty much roll up the streets at ten PM." He humored her, enjoying her dry wit. Mercifully, the loud thumping bass shut down so the DJ could make some announcements. Clark sipped his water.

_It wasn't as good as the bottled water back home, but it would do_, he criticized. Lois moved in closer. Clark noted that her large eyes were bloodshot. _It's possible that she hadn't been sleeping_ _well either_, he guessed. "You came all the way out here to get me? How sweet!" Lois slurred.

"You're such a good friend, Clarkie." Lois said as she kissed him on the cheek, startling him. Lois rested her head on his shoulder. _Yup, Lois had far too much to drink_, he determined. "Ready to go?" Clark pressed after taking another sip of the overpriced beverage.

"What's your hurry? The night's still young." Lois smiled broadly. _Yeah, but the dollars from_ _Chloe, coupled with the limited amount of money I have, wasn't going to go far in this place_. Clark didn't want to upset Lois either, fearing that she'd make a scene.

The DJ announced over the PA that Lex Luthor himself was going to make an appearance at _Club_ _G_ this Friday night. _Uh oh_! Clark was filled with dread. "What? He's a rock star now?" Lois snapped. "Hey Smallville! Are you gonna smack down Lex for stealing your girl?"

Lois's voice rose suddenly. _Here we go_! Clark thought warily. "He's a pompous, arrogant, money hungry bastard! Those are just his good points!" Lois was now yelling, embarrassing Clark, and alerting the bouncers, who began to edge towards them.

"We ought to go up to that creepy old mansion and beat his ass!" Lois continued her tirade. Most of the patrons were thankfully ignoring her, assuming that it was a common boyfriend and girlfriend fight. Clark glanced around nervously. Gino was reaching behind the bar.

"I hate jerks like him!" Lois was tiring herself out. Everyone else, except the bouncers, had lost interest in the scene. A slow song cranked up on the speaker system, much to Clark's appreciation. It was '_Weapon_' and adult alternative rock song that hadn't yet become popular.

Lois quickly mellowed. "Aw, I love this song. Let's dance! C'mon Clark, it'll be fun." Lois urged, dragging Clark up off the barstool. He could've resisted, but again in her drunken state, Lois would cause another scene. _Maybe it would quiet her down_. Clark hoped.

Lois half staggered towards the dance floor, pulling Clark along with her. He sighed. _Could this_ _night get any worse_? He silently wondered. Lois clung to Clark tightly and she sang the words to the song off key in his ear, dancing ever closer.

"_Here by my side, it's heaven! Don't turn your back on me! Here in your arms it's heaven_!" Lois wailed. By the song's second verse, Clark was basically holding Lois upright. _Good, if she keeps_ _this up, she won't be a problem_. Clark mused.

_There was still the matter of Lois's car keys and watch. I wonder_…He thought. Lois had carelessly left her purse unguarded atop the bar where they'd been seated. Clark used his x-ray vision to examine the purse. _There's her hand clutch with the whopping total of 13 cents_…

_Oops! Female items, Cell phone, Ah! There we go_! At the bottom of her purse, beneath a wad of tissues were her car keys! _That saves me an awkward explanation or two_.

Another slow song mixed in and Clark grimaced. It was the _Lifehouse_ tune "_You and Me_" from Clark and Lana's senior prom. _Great! Will this night never end_? He groused as he spun Lois slowly back towards the bar. _At least the car keys wouldn't be a problem_…

Lois sagged in his arms. Her big brown eyes fluttered open briefly. "I love you, Clark." She whispered in his ear, before mercifully nodding off for good. "What?" Clark had heard her of course. _Yeah right! She's in love with the Margaritas more likely_. He thought cynically.

Clark had to admit that it was nice to have a woman in his arms again. He took one last long sniff of Lois's delicate perfume, and her herbal shampooed hair. With his superior sense of smell, he'd been able to decipher the pleasant odors from the tequila breath and cigarette stench in her hair.

Clark used his hyper speed to zip to the bar, gather Lois's purse and zip back, catching Lois in his arms before she could fall. No one around them appeared to be any wiser. Lois had basically passed out halfway through the last slow dance and she was still quiet.

_Time to go_! Clark thought as he sped out the front door of the nightclub carrying Lois. One couple had unclenched near the center of the dance floor and looked around curiously. Soon they forgot about Lois and Clark's sudden disappearance.

The bouncer at the door scratched his head wondering about the breeze that seemed to come up out of nowhere. Papers, pebbles, and small sticks spun before him in a circle before settling back down on top of the parking lot pavement.

His attention was further limited by the young couple necking close to the building's corner. Clark hunted through the lot for Lois's car, soon locating it. He slowed to a stop, balancing Lois on one arm, while digging into her purse with the other hand.

He grasped the car keys, beeped the alarm, carefully placing Lois in the passenger's seat, buckling her in. After closing the door, he seated himself behind the wheel. On a whim, Clark checked the glove box atop the car's dashboard with his x-ray vision.

_Yup, there was Lois's watch, neatly tucked away behind a slew of maps_. _That about covers_ _everything._ It was just after midnight when Clark finally got on the road back to Smallville. Lois snoozed peacefully as Clark drove down the dark deserted highways.

It made sense to him to take Lois back to the farm, rather than her apartment at the Talon. He hoped that she wouldn't remember how Clark got her home. For some reason, he didn't want to lie to Lois anymore, though he assumed that might be asking too much.

Clark pulled up along the gravelly access road to the Kent Farm, and parked Lois's car next to the ranch house. Lois was still knocked out as he carried her into the house and opted to let her sleep in his bed. He covered her with a blanket and attached her watch to her wrist.

Clark had examined the timepiece and decided it must have held sentimental value for Lois, otherwise why would she have been so worried about it? He read the inscription on the back of the watch before placing it on her: _To Lois from Mom, Love always_. _That made sense_!

Clark was about to go downstairs and settle onto the couch for the night, when his cell phone buzzed. Martha Kent had called. _Hi son, how are you? Sorry to call so late, but I'd tried earlier_… "Mom! It's good to hear from you." Clark said quietly as he left his bedroom.

Clark had explained his impromptu trip to Central City, his break up with Lana, and the arrival of Kara…Martha had missed a lot while she was away in Washington. She had been coming in for Lionel Luthor's funeral, before Clark informed her that Lex wasn't allowing visitation.

"Lionel deserves better than that." Clark reiterated. "I know son, but it's Lex's decision to make." Martha was growing more depressed every minute. "In regards to Lois, you did the right thing." She added, changing the subject. "Maybe Lana wasn't the right one for you."

"Lois has been doing that a lot lately hasn't she?" Martha inquired. "Chloe seems to think that Lois has a problem." Clark added. "She hasn't been the same since dad died, to say nothing of Wes, Grant, and her failed relationship with Oliver."

"We all grieve in our own way, Clark." Martha pointed out. "I think it's more than that, Mom. I don't think she has any friends, other than Chloe, Jimmy, and I. She spent a little time with Kara." Martha listened intently. "Do you want me to have a talk with her?"

"It couldn't hurt." Clark agreed. "She needs to stop that destructive behavior." Martha mentioned. "You can't be there to save her all the time." _Why not_? A voice inside Clark's head had kicked in, distracting him. _Maybe I'm just tired_…

Clark lounged around on the couch as he talked with his mother. "I haven't really slept well since…" Martha let the unfinished statement hang in the air. "I haven't either." Clark put in. "Fortunately, I don't need much sleep to begin with."

Martha sighed. "I don't know if I can keep doing this." She admitted. "At first, I enjoyed being a Senator. It was good to keep busy to keep my mind off of…" Clark nodded. "I understand. I've done nothing but think about it…and now that I've lost Lana as well…"

He leaned back into the sofa and kicked off his shoes. "Life seems sort of hopeless. I mean, what's the point? I know that I have responsibilities…the farm…my friends…but it's just not enough anymore. I need something to do…you know, like a job or something."

Martha understood. "You'll figure it out, I know you." Clark hung up the phone with Martha and headed back upstairs to take a shower. With his speed he could've simply sped in and back out again. He found that he enjoyed taking a relaxing hot shower before bedtime.

Clark dried off and went to the hallway linen closet. He was about to pull out some new towels and washcloths for Lois, when his super sensitive hearing picked up a sound outside his bedroom window. Clark sped into his room, where Lois was snoring undisturbed.

He glanced out the window with his regular vision. Clark followed up by using his x-ray vision, but found no one. _Maybe I'm paranoid and overtired_, he reasoned.

Deciding to swallow his pride, he climbed into his own bed beside Lois! She would give him some grief tomorrow, but that was okay. His gut told him to keep an eye on her.

Lois had made some nasty comments about Lex, and she'd been actively trying to find ways of bringing the corrupt billionaire down. She may have already pushed some of the wrong buttons.

Clark wouldn't put it past Lex to have some of his goons 'send Lois a message.' He considered a number of ways to protect her, and eventually fell asleep. After a while, Lois awakened, surprised to see Clark in bed with her. _What the hell_? She wondered, but was too tired and drunk to care. Brainiac was perched atop the Kent's barn roof, considering a new plan.

Brainiac sped away, taking flight eventually. Young Kara hadn't been home with her cousin Kal El. _How hard could it be to find a_ _single non-human girl on this prehistoric planet_? He wondered.

Clark slept deeply for the first time in weeks, but his nightmares wouldn't relent. First came the image of Lex and Brainiac standing among a pile of burned and smoldering bodies, human bodies! They were both laughing.

Then there was the image of Kara, being struck by Zor El. Finally, Clark saw himself, dying beneath Lex's boot, and a ring of bright green kryptonite nuggets surrounded him.

As the nightmare continued, Clark saw himself back in his barn, a bright light shone from beneath and along the edges of the barn doors. The doors swung open and there stood…Jonathan Kent!

"Dad? What are you doing…I mean how?" Clark stammered as the image approached him. "It's not important now, son. I know about Lionel's death, and Jor El's capture of you. The real threats are Lex and Brainiac."

"I know, dad. Alone, I'm not sure if I can defeat them both." Clark protested. "I can't stress this enough, Clark…" Jonathan's image dimmed slightly. "I haven't much time. Lex and Brainiac must be stopped at all costs!

Remember, this is much bigger than our little world here." "If you have to leave the farm, then so be it!" Jonathan's image shook violently. "You must embrace your destiny. I know I sound like Jor El, but I've begun to realize that he's right.

The future of mankind and so much more is at stake!" The apparition faded to a light shadow. "Will I ever see you again?" Clark asked. Jonathan pointed to his chest. "I'll be with you in here, always." The barn went dark, and Clark woke up shivering.

Lois had turned onto her side and placed her arm around Clark's neck. _This is too weird_. He thought as Lois slept peacefully with her head on his chest. _I suppose it was_ _inevitable,_ Clark considered.

_Lex had been given many chances to reform, and he hadn't. Maybe it's time to confront him and Brainiac, and let the chips fall where they may_.

Clark was beginning to doze off again, listening to Lois's heartbeat. _If I'm going to war, I'll have_ _to warn the other girls first. Chloe, Lana, and Kara deserved to know what they might be up_ _against_. Lana's tearful face appeared again in his next nightmare.


	6. Chapter 6: Night Stalkers

The Last Daughter of Krypton

Chapter 6 – Night Stalkers

Clark was awakened in the middle of the night by some noise on the roof. He left Lois's side and quietly slipped away, checking the empty guest room across the hall from his parents' bedroom. A whistling, flaming ball sped past the outskirts of their property, crashing and exploding into a fiery mass.

"That can't be good." Clark muttered. He checked on Lois once more. After seeing that she was sound asleep, he super sped out to the crash site. Sure enough, a huge smoldering crater sat in the middle of Hobb's Field. The meteor had blasted itself to pieces, and thankfully, Clark felt no ill effects. It wasn't a Kryptonian meteor, he mused, silently releasing a breath that he'd been holding.

Two more meteors suddenly streaked across the field and landed nearby, blasting similar flaming craters into the mostly deserted farmland. Hobb's Field hadn't been replanted for many years. Due to the lousy recent dry, hot, weather, most farmers had just let their fields go, irrigating only the closest fields to their homes. A third and fourth meteors hit just outside of the last two.

Clark hadn't recalled any mention of meteor showers on the TV's weather, or science channels. This made him doubly suspicious. He weighed the idea of zipping over to Metropolis International Airport, to try and overhear any conversations that the Air Traffic Controllers might have about radar images, or other reported meteor strikes in the area. Yet, he didn't want to leave Lois unattended.

Something was beeping nearby. Clark focused his hearing on the still sizzling craters. He hyper sped across the field to peer into the newer meteoric crash sites. A small, square, metallic object, about a half meter across, sat in the center of the impact crater. It was definitely not man made, at least not humanly made. It also wasn't a simple meteor strike.

_Could someone be starting an invasion_? Clark wondered, horrified. Just then, the object he'd been studying vaulted straight upwards, sprouted a tripod of meter long legs, and began beeping incessantly. It had a single glowing red circle at the box's center. Inside the circle, a diamond shaped orange light began to sway from side to side. It reminded Clark of an electric eye.

The last four craters also sprouted similar devices, and only the preliminary crater remained empty. The four strange objects arose out of the landing ditches, completely ignoring Clark. They seemed to be considering something. Clark guessed that the devices were communicating or acclimating to their new surroundings. _Were they actual beings from another planet, or extraterrestrial probes_? He mused.

The four devices scurried away, galloping across the meadow like three legged horses. They all stopped and joined together, at the edge of Hobb's Field, extending cable like wires to one another. Clark didn't like this at all. A new streak arced across the pitch black sky, and it landed near Clark, but didn't explode into a fireball. "Kal! What are these things?" Kara Zor El Kent asked frantically.

Clark shrugged. "I have no idea." Kara positioned herself just above the devices, hovering in place. "Don't get too close to them, Kara." Clark warned. "Should we kill them?" Kara offered. "No!" Clark snapped. "We have no idea if they're even alive." She argued. "What if they are? We know from John Jonz explanations, and the information from the Ice Fortress that other species inhabit the galaxy."

"What do we do?" Kara asked impatiently. "We'll just have to observe them." Clark motioned for her to retreat to the original crater, where Clark was now standing. A tall shadow emerged from the first meteor crater behind them. It glided silently towards Kara. Several tentacles whipped out from the shadow's midsection, and grabbed Kara by the throat. "Kal!" She managed to shriek.

Clark spun around, and gawked for a second. The shadow creature was attempting to strangle his cousin, and what's worse, she was having a hard time resisting the assault. This told him two things: the invaders were not friendly, and they had immense strength, to hold Kara in place like that.

Kara, over the initial shock, elbowed the seven foot tall creature in its midsection. Some of the tentacles lost their grip, but many others didn't. Grunting loudly, Kara attempted to flip the creature over her head. She was able to lift it off the ground a bit, but not enough for the toss.

Clark used his super speed to shove the shadow creature away, finally breaking its grip on Kara. The thing flew backwards into a tree, its trunk snapping in half. The creature lie atop the lower half of the trunk, either stunned or dead, at least that's what Clark and Kara had hoped.

Instantly, the four metallic things turned their attention on the melee. The devices separated from each other, retracting their cable like wires into their bodies. The red circles with the orange diamonds within all seemed to aim at Clark and Kara. They fired bright red laser like bolts at them. One impacted Clark in the side, and he felt a slight tingling in his ribcage. A hole in his shirt was blackened and smoldering.

Kara gasped. These creatures or devices could actually do some damage to the super powered young aliens. This meant that should the invaders choose to attack a human, it would most likely kill them. Another round of red laser blasts was fired, and this time Kara was ready for them. She easily evaded the blasts by taking to the air, like a fighter plane avoiding fire.

Clark wasn't that agile. Another bolt hit him square in the back, knocking him to his knees briefly, before he recovered. The downed shadow creature began to stir, and the four devices ceased their attack. This wasn't lost on Clark and Kara. _Could the shadow creature be controlling the devices, like a soldier controlling automatic weapons or unmanned drones?_ Kara mused.

The shadow creature had righted itself, and was now standing in front of the shattered tree. Kara faced it and hovered about fifteen feet above the flattened roughage of the abandoned farm field. Clark was back on his feet and faced the metallic devices. They appeared to be confused as to what to do next.

"Kara! Remain still!" Clark barked. "Let's not antagonize it any further." He used his x-ray vision to survey the stunned shadow creature. Clark noted no familiar organs, though the creature seemed to be biological in nature. What's more, with x-ray vision, his sight seemed to go_ through_ the creature. Clark could pick out details of the farmland and the horizon in the distance.

"Kal? What's next?" Kara hovered as still as she could. "I just used my x-ray vision to determine the type of being it is. Kara, it's like nothing we've ever seen before. The closest analogy I can think of is that the thing is a type of wraith or phantom." Kara gulped. "Is it one of ours, meaning, Kandorian or Kryptonian?" She inquired. "I don't think so. I can't sense any intelligence or brain activity." He replied.

"You keep an eye on it, while I x-ray the four devices." Clark directed. As of yet, the shadow creature hadn't made another move. It seemed to be neither interested in a fight, nor making an attempt to flee. Clark quickly surveyed the devices. His initial impression had been correct. The four metallic items had things similar to cables, wires, and electronic pathways throughout its inners.

"Kara, I think that these metallic things are some type of probes, or communication devices." Clark assessed, turning once again towards the shadow creature. The nearly translucent being had no discernible face, ears, or eyes. Clark tried to match it to any Earth denizens that he could think of. The only thing that came into his mind was a dark, shadowy type of seven foot jellyfish.

Suddenly, the shadow creature zipped past them, seeming to use the landscape like a skating rink. The creature didn't appear to have any legs, at least not in any human or animal sense of the word. Kara was about to zap it with her heat vision. Clark yelled at her: "No! Let it go!" he ordered his cousin.

The creature headed for the metallic probes, and stopped beside them. Immediately, the devices unleashed their retractable cables, and joined together. They encircled the shadow creature, and somehow created a blinding green flash. Kara and Clark winced at the intense light, and when they regained their vision, the entire field was silent and dark.

"Okay, that was weird, even by Smallville standards." Kara remarked. The five charred craters remained, and a quick search of the area by the super beings, revealed no further clues. "This isn't over, Kara. I have a bad feeling about this…like we've just seen the start of something bad, really bad." He peered up into the night sky as Kara floated down by his side.

"What do you think that was all about, Kal?" Kara prodded. "I hope that I'm wrong, but I believe we were just probed by an alien race, possibly as a prelude to an invasion." Clark responded menacingly. "Further, I think that our secret will have to be revealed to the general public. We'd better get prepared, because if my instincts are right, these creatures were just foot soldiers for an alien warrior people."

"The shadow creature didn't expect to be seen, let alone get into a conflict with observers." Clark continued his analysis. "I think the creature and the drones are an advance scout team." Kara scowled. "Didn't Ol' Red Eyes, Jon Jonz, speak about an alien warrior race called the Daemonstrata?"

"Exactly, Kara." Clark confirmed. "You saw their weapons. Earth humans wouldn't stand a chance against an invasion force like that. That's where we come in." Kara nodded. "We have to contact Jon Jonz as well, and soon. Maybe he's got some new leads."

Meanwhile, Lois Lane slept peacefully in Clark's bed, blissfully unaware that she was being watched. Two shadowy creatures sat atop the Kent barn roof, and beeped softly to one another. Then they vanished in a quick blast of bright green light. The farm was once again bathed in darkness.


	7. Chapter 7: Superman:Rough Justice 5

_**Superman part 5: Rough Justice**_

Clark and Kara had chosen not to reveal their extraterrestrial excitement, a mere few weeks before Lois and Clark's wedding. They kept the encounter with the night visitors to themselves, though Clark suspected that Jon already knew what happened, given his penchant for mental telepathy.

Kara had been feeling more comfortable in her role with the as yet unnamed group of dysfunctional and slightly eccentric superheroes. Her primary loyalties lie with Clark of course, but lately she'd come to appreciate the interaction with Gold Wing, Tim Servo, and their Falcon Claw, Nebraska friends.

If the Daemonstrata were truly making inroads to Earth, she and Clark would be the first line of defense, followed by Jon, and possibly the talented Amazon princess, Diana. Only the four of them seemed to possess supernatural powers. A strength and agility beyond the norm would be required, if they chose to face down the alien Daemonstrata advanced scout force.

During the small break, Gold Wing strolled up to Batman, Batgirl, and Nightwing, who had gotten up to stretch their legs. "So, why bats, anyway?" Laura grilled Bruce, catching him off guard.

"It's just this thing I have." Bruce grumbled. "Bats are often misunderstood creatures." Laura stared blankly at him. "Works for me." Gold Wing commented before grinning thinly. "What's your story?" Dick questioned Laura, whom he'd immediately found attractive. "My story?" Laura repeated.

"The short version is that I was born an exceedingly normal child." Gold Wing began. "When I was about ten years old, I encountered a mysterious element that reorganized my DNA, and basically turned me into a mutant, though I prefer the term 'Meta Human'." Laura explained. "Wow! That's incredible!" Barbara gasped. "Not really." Laura said with some humility. "I had to do something with these extraordinary abilities, so I joined up with these dysfunctional superheroes."

Kara had followed Laura's approach dealing with the caped crusaders, and enmeshed in her Linda Lee Danvers disguise, concentrated her hearing as Clark had taught her, on the young peoples conversation.

Batman had already begun psychoanalyzing Gold Wing, and was mentally ticking off all of the possibilities, both good and bad, for her. _A Meta Human would be very useful fighting crime in Gotham_, _though the three of them had always tried their best_, he silently rationalized.

Bruce had heard of Meta Humans before, and even had encountered some mutated forms of them, like the Man Bat, Killer Croc, Clay Face, Firefly, and others. Gold Wing was barely older than Dick or Barbara, he estimated. "So, do you know the mysterious Metropolis Blur?" Bruce interrogated.

"I do." Laura admitted without casting a glance towards Clark. "You might say that I know him intimately." Gold Wing stretched the truth a bit. She and Clark had been seeing each other for a while in between his on again off again romances with first Lana Lang, and then Lois Lane.

Nightwing's eyes widened, but no one could see them beneath his black mask. "Really?" Barbara gasped, feeling more intrigued than ever. Laura's directness had caught Batman off guard as well, a rarity indeed. "Can you tell us about him?" Bruce fished. "Not really. I heard that you'll all find out more about him as well as the super girl, within the next week." Gold Wing teased, enjoying the expressions on their faces.

"What can you do, if you don't mind my asking?" Dick questioned her further. "Well, I'm very fast, very strong, and I have enhanced senses. My eyesight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste are all beyond the norm. Oh and I recently found out that I was bulletproof." Laura shamelessly boasted.

Dick whistled. "How would you like to join us in Metropolis?" He asked without thinking it through. Laura snickered. "Tempting, but Oliver already has plans for me." Gold Wing explained. "I'll be assigned to watch over Lakeside City here in the Midwest. That place is crawling with crime."

"They'd be lucky to have you." Dick sucked up to Laura as both Bruce and Barbara rolled their disguised eyes. By now, Jon Jonz was ready for the final discussion wrap up. "Maybe I'll see you." Laura flirted by rubbing Dick's shoulder. Bruce was really worried now. _Meta Humans would have a clear advantage over any normal human_, he mused. He could only hope that if there were any more out there, they could be kept on the good side of crime fighters everywhere.

Laura took a seat next to Clark and Lois as Oliver returned to the podium. "Weren't you being a bit chatty with our caped crusaders?" Clark asked Gold Wing sarcastically. "Maybe, but they seemed generally interested in me." Laura replied as Lois chuckled. "Yeah, especially that Nightwing guy." She teased as Laura reddened, though most of her highly placed cheeks were located beneath the tacky black mask.

"Finally, our discussion involves extraterrestrial events that can and will affect human existence." Jon began solemnly, as a hush befell the small crowd. "This is privileged information, but mankind is unaware that there are over fifty five thousand populated planets in just the known galaxy, and not all of them will be considered friendly." Dick and Barbara stared at Jon open mouthed.

"What orifice did he pull that one out of?" Nightwing asked sarcastically. "I believe that he's right, Nightwing. I'd listen to the man." Batman said sternly. "There are astronomical events that can bring about the destruction of the human race." Jon continued menacingly. "Some of the known elements are asteroids, comets, larger meteorites, and in theory, an unusually strong solar flare, or a stray burst of gamma rays which can destroy or at least imperil the general population."

"Preaching to the choir, Jon!" Lois remarked quietly to Clark. "I suppose that Smallville is now known as the meteor capital of the world." Clark nodded in agreement, saying: "But, next time, we'll be ready for them." He added confidently. Kara shot him a knowing glance. This body language was not lost on Bruce, though, as he observed the row of young people in front of him. _They know more_, he mused.

"Further," Jon redirected their attention toward him. "There is the possibility, though remote, that Earth could suffer a sudden polar shift, which could devastate the planet's ecosystem, thereby killing most life upon it. Even less likely, though the possibilities cannot be ruled out, Earth could get swept up in a migrating black hole, or get caught in a sea of chronoton particles, meaning time travel would be possible. Also, alternate realities, dark matter storms, and even a sliver of antimatter could annihilate the planet."

"Well, I really want to go get some chocolate mousse and strawberries now!" Lois heckled. Wonder Woman raised her hand as the hall lights reflected off of her silver wrist bracer. "Yes, Princess Diana?" Jon invited courteously. "It is just Diana while I am here in Man's World." She corrected. "So we should just crawl into a corner and cry until our deaths? That is not the Amazon way!"

"No, that's not our way, either." Oliver pointed out. "It will be up to us to either avoid these cataclysmic events or limit the casualties and damage that would be caused. Even the Metropolis Blur knows that he can't save everyone all of the time. That's why we've decided on the creation of this League of Justice." Lois smirked. "League of Justice? That has a nice ring to it." She commented.

"How about shortening it to Justice League?" Clark put in. Oliver smiled brightly. "A very good suggestion, Mr. Kent. We will consider that, and put it to a team vote." Jon noted that the audience murmurs had begun again. "Be that as it may, we have one last topic to discuss." Jon refocused the group. "As I alluded to earlier, of the fifty five thousand inhabited worlds, some races of beings will be bent on conquest, or the exploitation of Earth's many resources."

"I suggest that we must prepare for this inevitability." Jon continued. "The most powerful among us are the Metropolis Blur, the Super Girl, and Gold Wing. They will be our front line of defense against extraterrestrial invaders." The irony of a Martian speaking on behalf of humans against otherworldly invaders was not lost on Bruce. Beings that wielded this kind of absolute power worried him greatly.

"Arguably, Wonder Woman, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Cyborg would be our second line of defense." Jon added. "I will be second to no one!" Diana snapped. "I will wrestle any of your top heroes for physical superiority." Nightwing snickered. "I'd love to see that." He said before Barbara elbowed him in the ribs. "Wonder Woman?" Diana repeated. "Uh, that's my suggestion, Diana." Lois admitted. "Like it?"

"I meant no offense, Diana." Jon backpedaled. "The particulars still need to be discussed." Wonder Woman flipped her hair as she made an attempt to reign in her temper. "Agreed." Diana said after a brief cool off. "Man, I'd hate to piss her off." Cyborg joked. "I don't know. I think that I can take her." Gold Wing said half seriously. Kara flashed Laura a dirty look.

"Anyway," Oliver took over the lecture. "Each of us here have a certain specialty, be it extraordinary strength, exemplary speed, or a control over the elements both natural and supernatural." He nodded towards AC, Bart, and Zatanna. "The key is that we must work as a team."

"Now, it's time that we got everyone on the same page." Chloe said as she got up and stood next to Oliver. "We'd like to formally invite Gold Wing, Zatanna, Diana, Batgirl, Nightwing, and The Batman to join us." The whole room burst into applause. "We'd like to have you, if you'll have us." Oliver added after the noise subsided. "Woo Hoo! I'm in!" Gold Wing stood up and fist pumped the air.

"I'll be happy to help in any way that I can." Zatanna stood and clapped as she spoke. "I would be honored to join this heroic group, provisionally." Diana said elegantly as the room silenced. "What are those provisions?" Jon inquired formally. "I must hold onto my claim to the Amazon throne should something happen to my mother." Wonder Woman stated. "Agreed." Oliver confirmed.

"Further, I want to be on the lead team." Diana demanded, though she took some of the edge off of her tone. "You want to be a leader with The Blur, Jon, and I?" Oliver clarified. "Yes. Those are my concerns." Diana stated. "We'll have to discuss this with the Blur, but I don't see it as a problem." Jon answered. "What about you, Batman?" The Martian put Bruce on the spot.

"I still have some concerns and questions." Batman growled as the room went deathly silent. "Can we address them now, or would you rather meet again?" Oliver inquired. "I'll keep in touch." Bruce remained uncommitted. "Very well. Do you speak for Batgirl and Nightwing?" Jon questioned.

"We'll discuss this at home and get back to you." Batman replied vaguely. "Would it help if you talked to the Blur?" Clark asked as Lois gawked at him. "It might." Bruce grumbled. "I can arrange that at a time of your convenience." Clark offered. "The Blur talks exclusively to Lois Lane and I."

"We're his contacts with the media." Clark added as Lois nodded. "Interesting." Batman commented. "I guess that's all we can cover today." Oliver said as he began to bring the meeting to a close. "Thank you everyone for coming, and please enjoy the snacks and drinks that we have for you."

"Class dismissed." Gold Wing joked as she immediately stood next to Nightwing. Laura had moved so fast that Bruce and Barbara hadn't even seen her. Bart was the first to zip to the snack table. "Impulse! Make sure that you leave some food for the guests." Oliver teased from the edge of the stage.

Clark, Kara, and Lois began to surround the Batman, Batgirl, and Nightwing. Bruce's scowl was evident, even beneath the mask that covered most of his square-jawed face. "Something else I can help you with?" Batman challenged in his gruff, menacing, synthesized voice.

(Continues in Metropolis, 2012.)


End file.
